Staring at the Sun
by ch3lsk0
Summary: Quinn Fabray thought she was prepared for anything when she started her Pokémon journey. Catching and training them? Piece of cake. Challenging gym leaders? She's got this. Facing the evil organization Team Sylvester and saving the world? Bring it on. Falling for her childhood friend, Rachel Ber—Wait, what?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** Nope, none of it is mine.

**A/N:** This is my first fanfic and I'm quite nervous (but also excited) to share it with you. Drop a review and tell me what ya think!

**A/N2:** _Italics_ are used for when a Pokémon is saying its name. **Bold** is used for Pokédex entries.

Now on with the journey!

* * *

"_VOLTORB!" _

"Shit! Dodge it, Xatu!" Cooper yelled. He tuck and rolled behind a box as a Voltorb used Selfdestruct.

"_Tu!_" The green bird Pokémon flew above the debris while the Voltorb rolled to the side, fainting after using the explosive attack.

"Xatu, use Confuse Ray!" Cooper Anderson realized he was in over his head as he pointed his finger and commanded his psychic bird Pokémon to attack.

Most famous people started out with mundane jobs as a way to make ends meet before they got their big break. It had to be true; he read it online. So when he saw an ad for Sue's Pokémon Store, he applied right away.

What could be more mundane than supplying Pokémon to wannabe trainers who were too lazy to go out and catch them themselves? It was a perfect job; he could even write about it in his memoir.

If only it was that easy.

He had no idea Sue Sylvester, the owner of Sue's Pokémon Store and other countless chains throughout the country, was the same Sue Sylvester who was the leader of Team Sylvester, notorious league of criminals.

Looking back on it now, he probably should've put 2 and 2 together. She was even wearing the infamous tracksuit when she interviewed him!

Cooper shook his head and focused on the chaos around him. The Pokémon were feeling the effects of Confuse Ray, and were swaying side to side before they collapsed to the ground.

"_Vee…"_ An Eevee was huddled in the corner of its cage while another was outside it, desperately pawing at the bars.

Well, at least one Pokémon was still contained.

Cooper sighed and took a moment to study the damage of the supply room.

Shelves were knocked over, pokéballs were on the floor, there was a hole in the wall from Voltorb's attack, and countless cages were thrown about the room.

Sylvester was going to kill him.

"What's going on here?" Exclaimed an angry voice.

Correction, Sylvester would abandon him in an icy cave filled with angry Piloswine and Crobats. But at least he'd be able to survive… Maybe. This new person in the room… _he_ would most likely kill him.

Ken Tanaka stood in the doorway with a vein throbbing on his forehead.

Cooper winced. "A…few of the Pokémon we imported last night broke free from their cages, sir. But don't worry! I have it under control!"

"Under control? I come back here because a couple of fags want a Pokémon for their kid, and there's a fucking hole in the wall! You call _this_ under control?" Ken seethed. He picked up a pokéball from the ground, and released its occupant.

"_Victree_"

"A Victreebel, eh? Pretty useless, but it'll get the job done. Use Stun Spore!"

"_Tree!" _It released a yellow powder around the room, paralyzing its fellow Pokémon.

"Mr. Tanaka! They were already confused, don't you think this is a little much?" Cooper pleaded. The Pokémon around the room twitched before going completely still.

"It wouldn't have to be if you didn't screw everything up. I can't believe Sylvester added you to the team. Pokémon are nothing but simple tools yet you can't even control them."

Cooper grimaced. He hadn't wanted to be part of Team Sylvester. He just wanted a job so he wouldn't be completely broke while he struggled to be an actor! And if he happened to be discovered whilst doing said mundane job by a talent scout, then that was just icing on the cake!

But he had to go and open Pandora's Box. Literally.

He didn't know the package sent to the store was confidential. Okay, so it may have said "CONFIDENTIAL! FOR SUE SYLVESTER ONLY!" on it, but he worked at the store, and he felt it was his duty to check whatever packages were sent there.

And maybe he was just a bit nosy, too.

Regardless, Sue Sylvester herself walked in the store to collect her package personally, only to find her young employee with it not only open, but the item inside it in his grasp.

She paid a lot of money for her secret lab to create the MasterBall—a pokéball that could capture any Pokémon without fail—and she would be damned if this kid let all her hard work go to waste.

Cooper shuddered as he remembered how she dragged him to the very back room he's in now, and gave him a proposition he couldn't refuse.

It was either pledge allegiance to Team Sylvester and keep his mouth shut about the MasterBall, or her minions pay a visit to his nine year old brother and send him on a little vacation in that icy cave.

He really did have no other choice.

"You should really be thanking me for making your job easier." Cooper was shaken out of his reverie by Ken's snide remark. "Now clean this mess up while I take this mutt over here," Ken pointed to the only Pokémon still in its cage, the Eevee, "out over to those fags." He grabbed the crate, but stopped in his tracks as the other Eevee that was pawing at it earlier jumped in front of him and growled. He gave a snort and kicked the Pokémon out of his way.

"_Vee_!" The Eevee in the cage whimpered as its companion struggled to get up.

"Oh, you want more?" Ken chuckled. "Victreebel, use Razor Leaf on this pipsqueak!"

The grass type Pokémon shot out leaves as sharp as razors. The Eevee outside the cage attempted to dodge, but was too winded from the blow of Ken's foot.

Cooper watched in horror as the Eevee's left ear was sliced to bits, while Ken chortled on his way out the door with the crate in his hands.

He went to aid the little normal type Pokémon, but the groans of the others alerted him. The effects of Stun Spore and Confuse Ray were slowly fading away, and a nearby Tauros attempted to stand. He really needed to get them back in their crates, especially before that one started to rampage.

With a sigh, he grabbed a discarded Potion that was knocked to the ground earlier, and sprayed it on the Eevee. He shrugged his jacket off and placed it over the Pokémon while it slowly recovered. It would have to be enough for now. He then turned his attention back to the others and got to work.

Once they were all in place, he turned back to where the Eevee was, only to find the spot empty. He picked his jacket back up, and looked around with a confused expression.

"Xatu, did you see where that Eevee went?"

"_Xatu!"_ The green bird shook its head before its eyes started to glow.

Cooper's eyes widened as his Pokémon used its psychic abilities to show his mind the whereabouts of the lost Eevee. He saw how it escaped through the hole the Voltorb made earlier. "Shit." He muttered.

"Good to know you managed to clean up without screwing anything else up." Ken quipped when he reentered the room. He surveyed the surroundings with a critical eye before turning to the worker. "You _did_ manage to capture all of them before any of them could flee, right?"

Cooper eyed the hole in the wall and winced. "Y-yeah, I did." He quickly changed the subject. "Did you manage to sell that Pokémon?"

"Yes. Get this; I sold it for 3 times the value than the mutt was worth! And they actually bought it!" Ken slapped Cooper on the back with a laugh.

The young man scowled and shook his head. The escaped Eevee was better off than it was here. He just hoped someone nice would befriend it. He glanced at the corrupted man beside him.

Yes, anything was better than here.


	2. Chapter 1a

**A more proper disclaimer than what was used in the prologue:** Glee is not mine, and the only Pokémon I own are in my video games. The title of this fic is from the Offspring song of the same name. (Listen to it if you want; I feel as if the lyrics gradually describe Quinn's journey throughout the story.) Also, the title "Celebi: A Timeless Encounter" is the Japanese name of the 4th Pokémon movie. However, in this fanfic, I'm borrowing it as a title for a book a character reads.

**A/N:** _Italics_ are used for when a Pokémon is saying its name. **Bold** is used for Pokédex entries.

* * *

"Hey, look! It's Lucy Caboosey!" A group of boys taunted as they made their way over to a young girl reading under a tree. "Whatcha reading, Lucy Caboosey?" Azimio smirked and snatched the book from her hands before she could reply.

"'_Celebi_: _A_ _Timeless_ _Encounter'_?" Rick read over Azimio's shoulder. "What are you reading this for? Everyone knows Celebi ain't real!"

"Th-that's not true!" Lucy scrambled up from her spot under the tree. "There are countless P-Pokémon being discovered everyday!" She attempted to get her book back. Azimio tossed it to the last boy in the group. "There's research done that proves Celebi—"

"You don't even _have_ a Pokémon, Lucy!" Finn interrupted after catching the book. He flipped through it before throwing it to Rick.

"Yeah! You're the only one in our grade without one! Even that big mouthed Berry girl has one now; she wouldn't shut up about it this morning!" Rick laughed and threw the book over Lucy's head to Azimio. The young girl's hand grazed the book, causing it to fall to the ground before it could reach the boy. Before she could retrieve it, the dark boy took out a pokéball from his belt.

"Not so fast, Caboosey. Go, Bulbasaur!" A bright red light shown from the ball, and out came a little green Pokémon. "Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip to get her book." Lucy watched helplessly as dark green vines emerged and held the book high over her head.

"_Saur!"_

"G-give it back!"

"All right! It's my turn! Go!" Finn smirked and chucked his Pokéball.

"_Karp_, _Magikarp!_" Was heard as the Pokémon flopped on the grass.

"Magikarp, you too! Use Vine Whip!" Finn instructed the fish, but it only continued to flail around. "Magikarp, I said use—"

"Magikarp can't use Vine Whip, stupidhead!" A voice interrupted him.

"What are you doing here, Puckerman?" Sneered Azimio. Lucy tried to grab her book, but the Bulbasaur once again made it out of her reach.

The scrawny boy puffed out his chest and replied, "I _was_ using the park to train my Pokémon before you three punks distracted me!"

"You mean that little rat hiding behind you?" Rick remarked while Finn and Azimio laughed.

Puck glared at them as his Pichu cowered behind his legs. "Shut up! At least I know what moves to teach him!"

Finn stopped laughing and glared back. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Magikarp's a water type and Vine Whip is a grass move!"

"So?"

"Most Pokémon can only learn moves that are cat-categor—" he tried to remember the word his Jewbro said, but gave up and sighed, "that are the same type as them."

The group continued to argue, and Lucy used the distraction to finally retrieve her book. "Got it!" She exclaimed proudly. She blushed under the four boys' scrutiny as she held the book close to her chest with one hand and straightened her glasses with the other. She just wanted to curl back under the shade of the tree and disappear.

Rick snorted and threw out his own pokéball. "Weedle, use String Shot!" Before Lucy could duck, the little yellow Pokémon had shot out its web and stuck her to the tree.

"Hey!" Noah yelled. "You can't do that to a girl! Pichu, use Tail Whip!"

"She's not a girl; she's more like a Snorlax! Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed on that rat!" Azimio countered.

"Use Poison Sting, Weedle!"

"Magikarp, use… um, use Tackle attack!"

Pichu collapsed to the ground as the three boys' Pokémon gained up on him. Noah grimaced and tried to think of a plan.

"S-Stop!" Lucy yelled in horror. She tore away from the web and ran in the middle of the battle. She covered the tiny Pokémon in an attempt to block the attacks. The onslaught stopped, but only because the little mouse behind the girl began to glow.

"Hey, what's happening?" Asked a dumbstruck Finn.

Noah stared in awe as his Pichu slowly started to change form.

"It—It's…" Rick trailed off.

"It's evolving!" Azimio finished for him.

Lucy gasped and backed away as a now proud looking Pikachu stood in the place of what was once a tiny, timid Pichu.

"_Pika!"_

Noah stood speechless for a few moments before slowly turning towards the trio with a smirk on his face. He crossed his arms and yelled out a command, "Pikachu, use ThunderShock on these losers!"

Pikachu was only happy to let out a burst of electricity on the bullies.

"You'll regret this, Puckerman!" Azimio yelled as he and the other two boys and their Pokémon ran out of the park. "You too, Caboosey!"

"That's what you get for crossing the Puckasaurus!" Noah yelled back. He turned towards his Pokémon. "I can't believe you evolved! This is so awesome!" He high fived his new Pikachu, before remembering about the girl, "Oh, hey, are you okay—"

She was nowhere in sight.

"Hey, where'd you go? Hello?" He called out a few more times. He turned back to his new Pikachu with a sigh. "I guess she left." The boy picked up her discarded book and addressed his Pokémon who was looking at a tree, "Come on, buddy, let's go. Maybe we'll see her again soon."

Pikachu continued to stare at the tree as his owner started to walk away. Noah turned around when he noticed Pikachu not moving. "Pikachu, let's go!" The Pokémon gave one last glance at the tree and then scurried along.

"My Jewbro's gonna be so psyched when she sees that you evolved!" Lucy gave a sigh of relief as she heard the boy's excited voice fade into the distance. She slid down to the ground with her arms wrapped around her knees.

It was best that she hid away.

She only caused people trouble.

* * *

"Where have you been, young lady?" Judy called out from the kitchen.

Lucy froze. She had tried to enter the house and make it to her room without getting caught. The young girl averted her gaze to the ground and quietly sniffed, "I…I was at the park…" Judy turned towards her daughter after she set the table. She gasped at the dirtied clothes and scuff marks.

Lucy shifted under her mother's scrutiny and the movement caused Judy to snap out of it. "Go get cleaned up. Dinner will be ready in 15 minutes."

Lucy nodded and ran back up the stairs. Judy poured herself another drink.

* * *

"Knock knock!" Frannie said as she walked into her younger sister's room. "Mom told me to come get you, Q. Dinner's ready—Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Lucy mumbled from the bed in a clean pair of clothes.

The older girl shut the door and walked the rest of the way into the bedroom. "This doesn't seem like nothing." She sat on the bed and wrapped her arm around her sister's shoulder. "Was it those bullies again?"

The bespectacled girl clenched her eyes shut as tears started to pour down her cheeks.

"Oh, Lucy Q…" Frannie murmured and pulled her onto her lap. The younger girl choked back a sob and buried her head into her sister's neck. "Shh…. It's okay. Don't let them get to you. They're just a buncha little assholes."

Lucy let out a watery laugh at her sister's cuss word, before pulling away and wiping furiously at her eyes. "A boy sa-saved me from th-them today."

"Saved you? What happened?" Frannie frowned as Lucy recounted her story. Her older sister had a grimace on her face by the time she finished what had happened.

"Those little fuckers—"

"Fran!" Lucy exclaimed with wide eyes.

"What? It's true! I can't believe they would do that! We should have mom go talk to their parents—"

"No!"

"What?" Frannie startled when Lucy jumped from her lap.

"They—they'll just call me a tattletale!" Lucy exclaimed. "And…and besides, I don't think mom would do anything…" She mumbled and shifted her eyes to the floor.

Frannie frowned only deeper as she realized, yeah, their mother wouldn't do a damn thing.

"Girls, dinner!"

Both of them looked to the door as they heard Judy call up from the bottom of the stairs.

Frannie sighed before standing up from the bed and kneeling down in front of her 10 year old sister. She took her glasses off and wiped the tear stains from her pudgy little cheeks. "Come on, Q, we'll figure something out." She gave the glasses back and held out her hand.

Lucy looked up with wide, hazel eyes, and Frannie vowed as they trekked down the stairs that she would think of something.

It came to her moments later when they arrived at the kitchen, and she released her Vulpix from its ball to eat its pokéfood.

"Dad, mom," Frannie spoke up from her spot at the table after setting food on her plate.

"Lucy, don't you think that's enough food on your plate?" Russell chided at his youngest daughter before turning to his eldest. "Yes, dear?"

Lucy's breath hitched as she put down the bowl of food.

Frannie narrowed her eyes. "I think it's about time Lucy Q got a Pokémon."

Lucy gasped and looked around the table with a wide smile.

Russell quirked an eyebrow while Judy looked on with interest.

"She's ten years old. This is normally the time most kids receive their first Pokémon." Frannie explained before taking a sip of her glass.

"No."

Frannie coughed on her drink at her father's dismissal. "But…"

"Pokémon are nothing more than tools for humans. My youngest daughter has no need for one." Russell hardened his stare and turned to the fire fox Pokémon on the floor. "I shouldn't have even let you get this mutt." Vulpix looked up from its bowl and growled at the man. Russell had a good mind to flinch and turn away. He settled his gaze back on his eldest daughter who seemed to be trying to fight off a smirk. "So, no, she will not be getting a Pokémon."

Lucy visibly deflated and sunk down in her seat.

"A Pokémon would be good for her! It could teach her responsibility and friendship!" Frannie argued. She stared pointedly at her mom, "It could protect her."

Judy shifted uncomfortably in her seat at her older daughter's glare.

Russell slammed his fork down. "The answer is no, and that's final! Now you either finish your meal with no more talks of—of Pokémon," the man seethed, "or you don't finish at all and go up to your room!"

Frannie set her own fork down with a glare to her parents. "Fine. Come on, Vulpix." The fire fox barked and followed her up the stairs.

Russell watched her go and then turned to Lucy. "The same goes for you, young lady. Do you have anything to say about this?"

"No, sir." Lucy shrunk under his gaze.

"Good." He turned his attention to Judy. "Now as I was saying, I go into my office and there's a voicemail from Tanaka talking about some mishap or another from last night…"

She heard Frannie slam her bedroom door shut, and fidgeted in her seat.

She only caused people trouble.

* * *

It had been a few days after what Lucy mentally dubbed The Pikachu Incident. Those days were spent carefully searching the park for a new hideaway.

The bespectacled girl clutched a new book to her chest as she steered off the cobblestone path and into a small clearing she found the day before. It was just out of sight from the rest of the park, but not completely out of the way that it ventured off into the woods.

She sat in the old tire swing she found abandoned on a tree in the clearing and gazed around with a small smile. Pidgeot were building nests in an upper portion of the tree. Butterfree were fluttering about. Hoppip and Skiploom were drifting in the light breeze. Something was rustling in the bush to her left—

Lucy fell from the swing with a gasp, and scooted away from the bush. The rustling continued. Not knowing where to go, she shielded her arms above her head and shut her eyes. She waited with bated breath and only hoped it wasn't the trio from school. Or a wild Ursaring. She let out a tiny whimper at the thought.

The noise stopped.

Lucy tentatively opened her eyes, only to come face to face with big brown ones barely an inch away from her.

She let out a squeak of surprise, and scrambled even further away, only to have her back hit the tree. She stared with wide eyes as the Pokémon plopped on its hind legs and gazed right back.

"Y-you're too little to be a Houndour or Houndoom. And…and you're definitely not a Vulpix…" The young girl trailed off. She was silent for a few seconds before snapping her fingers, "Growlithe! No, wait, that boy Artie has a Growlithe and it's orange with black stripes."

The small dog-like Pokémon quirked its head to the side.

She adjusted her glasses. "You're obviously not orange or black." She stated as she gestured to its brown body.

"_Vee!"_

"Vee…? Ve—Oh! Eevee!" Lucy exclaimed with a grin. She slowly reached her hand out, and giggled when the Eevee trotted up to her and nuzzled her outstretched hand. "What are you doing out here all alone, little one?" She asked as she caressed the soft fur.

The Eevee stopped its affections and quirked its head again.

"Don't you have a family that might be worried about you?"

"_Vee?"_

Its left ear twitched, and that's when she noticed a chunk missing off the tip. Lucy swallowed. "Or…or maybe you ran away," she concluded. She looked at the torn ear again. "I ran away, too." Then shifted her gaze back into its eyes. "Well, only for a little bit of the day. I wish I could run away forever, but daddy would get so mad…" Lucy paused. "What am I doing…? I'm talking to a Pokémon…" she sighed. "Now daddy would definitely get mad at _that_ if he knew."

Eevee licked her hand as if it understood. _"Vee!"_

"But… but maybe he doesn't have to know." Lucy bit her lip and then made a quick decision. She scooped the little Pokémon up in her arms. "W-would you be my friend?" She all but yelled out. The little dog-like Pokémon licked her cheek, and she only held on tighter.

* * *

A few weeks later, Lucy ran through the park and along the cobblestone path to her secret spot. "E-Eevee!" She panted. "I missed you!"

After their first initial meeting, she begged Eevee to meet her the next day at the hideaway. She wasn't sure it would be there, but something in its eyes assured her it would be. She was pleasantly surprised to find it resting under the tire swing when she arrived that day.

One day turned into two, and before she knew it, she was walking to the park every afternoon to meet her only friend.

Russell wasn't sure why his daughter arrived home each night right before dinner, but she seemed to be thinning out, so he kept his mouth shut.

Frannie hugged her sister close and promised to cover for her if needed whenever she went out to meet her Pokémon friend.

"I wish I could take you to school with me, or-or home…" she puffed out with her hands on her knees. Once she caught her breath, she looked up to find not only one Eevee, but two. "Oh! Hello! Eevee, is this your friend?"

The new Eevee shrunk under Lucy's gaze as she observed it. Her Eevee's fur was a little tangled from being an outside Pokémon, while this one's seemed to be brushed daily. It also had a gigantic pink bow with gold stars tied around its neck that only made the Pokémon seem even smaller than it was.

The young girl gave a bright smile and held out her hand. Lucy's Eevee licked the second one's cheek before nudging it towards the human. Lucy's smile only brightened when it tentatively walked towards her and sniffed her hand. She carefully went to pet it when—

"Elphaba?" Called out a voice.

Lucy jumped back as what could only be a tiny angel rustled her way out of the bushes.

The newcomer's expressive brown eyes lit up as she spotted the Eevee with the bow. She scrambled towards it and held it tightly to her chest. "Oh, Elphie! I was so worried!" She peppered its fur with kisses until she noticed she had an audience. She tucked her Eevee under her right arm and put her other hand on her hip. "Who are you and what were you doing to my Elphaba?" She demanded with a stomp of her foot.

Lucy confusedly looked between the girl and the two Eevees. "Um…"

The tiny brunette followed her gaze and gasped. "Oh, my—Y-you're a Pokémon thief, aren't you? Oh, no, I won't let you steal my Elphaba!" She brought the Pokémon back up to her chest, and shrieked, "My dads are gay and unless you want the force of the American Civil Liberties Union coming down on you, I suggest you evacuate my presence at once, you…you… you Eevee Snatcher!"

That seemed to snap Lucy out of her daze. "No, wait! D-don't call the American Civil Li-libert-library Onion!" She stumbled over her words as she pleaded with the girl.

The girl narrowed her eyes and clutched her Eevee tighter. "And why shouldn't I?"

"I'm not a Pokémon thief!"

"That's what they all say!" The brunette's Eevee scrambled out of her arms and cautiously walked to Lucy. "Elphaba! No, don't! Stranger danger! Stranger danger!"

Lucy threw her hands up in exasperation. "I'm not gonna steal it!"

"_It?"_ The brunette shrieked. "My Elphaba is not an _it!"_ She narrowed her eyes at the bespectacled girl. "If you were a _real_Pokémon thief, you'd know how to tell the gender of these Eevees!" She thrust out an accusing finger.

Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "That's because I'm not a thief!" She quirked her head to the side, "Wait, how can you tell the genders? Besides, from... well..." Lucy trailed off with a blush.

The girl's eyes widened in realization. "Well," she coughed into a dainty hand, "seeing as you're obviously not a Pokémon thief—even though it is still entirely suspicious of you to be in a hidden part of the park with my Elphaba and this other Eevee! Don't think I forgot about that, missy!—I suppose I shall unfold my secrets of the world of Pokémon unto you." Her proud grin faltered at the blank look on the other girl's face. "The markings on their tails." She deadpanned.

Lucy looked to her Eevee's tail, and then to Elphaba's. "O-okay..." She said in uncertainty.

"See how their tails are two different shades of brown?" At the bespectacled girl's nod, she continued, "All Eevees have a lighter brown at the tip, but the males are slightly darker than the females." She pointed to the two Eevees sitting next to each other by Lucy's feet, "Ours are female."

"Oh, wow! Wh—where'd you learn that?"

"My pokédex, silly!" The girl stated as if it were obvious.

"You have a pokédex?" Lucy asked in shock. Her daddy refused to get her one.

"Yeah, my daddy got it for me when he bought me Elphaba!" At her acquaintance's crestfallen look, the brunette sputtered to continue, "Do-do you want to see it?"

"You'd really let me see it? E-even though you thought I was stealing your Elphaba..."

The brunette blushed heavily. "I—I apologize for my accusation..." She trailed off, before quickly continuing, "but, but you shouldn't be in this secluded part of the park! It's dangerous!" Lucy quirked an eyebrow up at their surroundings, noting a few Butterfree and a Sentret, but that's it. "I was so scared when Elphaba had run off, and when I saw you, I—I assumed the worst." She stepped towards Lucy and thrust out her hand in an excited manner. "Let's start over! My name is Rachel Barbra Berry! I'm ten years old and I attend McKinley Elementary! And the Eevee over there in the lovely bow is Elphaba!"

The bespectacled girl blinked, and Rachel's grin faltered. Quick to rectify the situation, Lucy tightly grasped the girl's hand. "I—I'm Lucy!" Rachel gave her a pointed look. "Fabray! Lucy Quinn Fabray! I'm the same age as you are, a-and I also go to McKinley." The brunette's eyes widened in excitement. "And, and that's...um... Well, I don't have a name for her."

Rachel gasped. "You haven't named your Pokémon? It's important to give them a sense of individuality!"

"Well, she's not really mine... But, but I didn't steal her!" Lucy rushed out before she could be accused of being an Eevee snatcher. "She's...she's my friend."

Rachel's eyes softened as she took in the sight of Lucy and the Eevees. Nodding to herself, she made a quick decision. "Well, come on!"

"Huh?"

The brunette giggled. "You want to see my pokédex, correct? It's at my house. So you," she looped her arm through Lucy's, "and your friend are coming over!"

Lucy's eyes widened in excitement. "Really?" She hesitated. "But, but I don't want to cause any trouble..."

"Nonsense! Let's go!" She tugged Lucy's arm. The taller girl looked to her Eevee, only to see Elphaba intertwining their tails before trotting along beside the humans. She smiled and turned back to the girl beside her who started to ramble on about something or another. "...stars. They're a metaphor and metaphors are important. I hope to one day have a Staryu or a Starmie which will..."

Rachel continued on, and Lucy could only grin.


	3. Chapter 1b

**Disclaimer: **Glee is not mine, and the only Pokémon I own are in my video games. Also, I am in no way affiliated with Transformers.

**A/N:** Thank you for all the feedback! I'm glad you're all enjoying this! Here is the last half of chapter one (just fyi, there's a tiny time jump towards the end).

* * *

Lucy was nervous.

She spent most of Friday evening at her new friend Rachel Barbra Berry's house after the brunette showed her the pokédex. She even met the girl's fathers; they were nothing like her own daddy.

She instantly liked them.

But when it was time for Lucy to go home, the diva pulled her into a hug and promised to meet, "same time, same place!" tomorrow. Which wasn't a problem… until Rachel told her she had someone Lucy just _had_ to meet, and she would be bringing them along.

She's not too good with meeting new people.

She was fine with Hiram and Leroy because before she even had a chance to stutter out an introduction, they scooped the girl up in a group hug.

Rachel stomped and pouted at that until Hiram picked her up too.

Her own daddy always talked about how the Berrys were different. He was right. They were different, and Lucy _loved_ it.

But this new person she would be meeting today… She didn't know who they were, but she had a funny feeling in her stomach.

Eevee licked her hand in silent encouragement. Lucy gave her a wry smile.

Their attention was turned to the bushes rustling, and out came Rachel, Elphaba, and…

"Hey! It's you!" Noah pointed a finger in her direction. Pikachu sat on the boy's shoulder and quirked his head.

"Noah! Where are your manners? It's not nice to poi—Wait, what do you mean?" Rachel rounded on the scrawny boy. Her eyes flitted between him and Lucy.

"Remember when me and Pikachu totally kicked Azimio and his gang's ass?"

"While I've told you time and time again that I discourage such language, yes, I do recall you telling me you kicked their…butts."

"Remember how I did it to save some girl?" The boy smirked. Lucy lowered her head in embarrassment. This would explain the funny feeling she had earlier. Maybe the sixth sense Rachel told her about yesterday rubbed off on her.

"Yes, but I hardly see how this—" Rachel's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with a loud gasp. She narrowed her eyes at Noah and bopped him in the head. "Noah Puckerman! How _dare_ you not inform me that it was dear sweet Lucy who was endangered by those… those… those _barbarians!"_ She huffed and bopped him on the head again.

Noah rubbed his head. "Hey! How was I s'posed to know it was her?" But Rachel wasn't listening.

The little brunette stepped in Lucy's personal space and fretted over her as if The Pikachu Incident happened just yesterday. The bespectacled girl's face turned as red as a Vulpix.

"R-Rachel…" Lucy trailed off with a blush. "I-I'm fine. Really."

"Yeah, Rach! I took care of those bullies!"

"Th—thank you for that, by the way…" Lucy mumbled.

Noah perked up. "No problem, …um…What'd you say your name was again?"

Once Rachel was satisfied Lucy was unharmed, she moved to the side and looped their arms. "This is Lucy Fabray!" She stated with a proud smile.

"Awesome, I'm Noah Puckerman! Anyway, you forgot that book you were reading that day, and I have it at my house if you wanna go get it?"

Lucy snapped her gaze away from her and Rachel's linked arms after she realized the other two were looking at her expectantly.

"Uh, s-sure!" She squeaked out.

"Lovely!" Rachel exclaimed. "Lead the way, Noah!" She tugged on Lucy's arm with a smile. "Come along, Lucy!"

* * *

"Mom! I'm home!" Noah called out as he entered the house.

"In the kitchen!"

Rachel led the group to the kitchen. "Hello, Mrs. Puckerman!"

Noah's mother shut the sink off and wiped her hands on a dish rag. "Hello Rachel. Oh, who is th—"

Rachel grabbed the taller girl's arm before Mrs. Puckerman could finish her question. "This is Lucy Fabray, my new best friend!"

"Well, hello Lucy Fabray, Rachel Berry's new best friend!" Mrs. Puckerman chuckled. Rachel beamed.

Noah groaned. His mom could be so embarrassing. "Come on, let's go to my room!" He exclaimed and led the group through the living room.

Rachel's smile faltered. "Noah, how about you go retrieve Lucy's book, and we'll wait for you in here?" She didn't give him much room for argument as she sat gracefully on the couch. The two Eevees sat next to each other by the girl's feet. Lucy shrugged and joined her.

"Um, okay…" Noah trailed off. "We'll be back in a minute! Come on, Pikachu!"

The tiny brunette sighed in relief once he was out of sight. "His room stinks like boy." She crinkled her nose in disgust.

Lucy quirked her lips but otherwise remained silent.

"Hey, are you okay?" Rachel furrowed her brows in concern.

"D-did you really mean that? A-about me being your best friend?" Lucy shyly ducked her head.

"Of course!"

"It's just… I've never had a regular friend before… let alone a best one."

Rachel set her hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Well," she started slowly, "now you have me as your best friend, and Noah as your regular friend! Though, I suspect he'll eventually become another of your best friends all in due time!" Rachel slid her hand to Lucy's and held on tight with a grin.

The taller girl blushed, and Rachel's eyebrows rose on her forehead, having taken it the wrong way. "B-but I was your best friend first! Don't leave me for him!" Her eyes widened before she stumbled over the rest of her words. "I-I mean… both of you!" She quickly fixed her slip-up. "You can't leave me! You have to promise!"

"Hey." Lucy squeezed her hand. "I won't leave you. I promise."

"Okay, good." Rachel sighed in relief.

"Back!" Noah and Pikachu walked back into the room. He held up the book with a proud smile.

Lucy grinned at him, and Rachel tightened her grip on the girl's hand before she noticed the title of the book.

"'_Celebi: A Timeless Encounter'_? I've read that before! I love Celebi!" Rachel grabbed the book out of Noah's hands and flipped through it.

Lucy smiled wider. "You believe there's a Celebi out there?"

"Of course!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Wait, hold up!" Noah sat on the couch next to the girls. "What's a Celebi?"

"This!" Rachel pointed to the cover of a book which held a small green fairy looking Pokémon. "They call it the Guardian of the Forest!"

Noah squinted his eyes at the book. "What's so great about it? Aside from it being a guardian or whatever."

Rachel gasped. "Noah—"

Lucy patted the tiny diva's hand and intervened. "There have only been a few sightings of it, but when it _is_ spotted, forests flourish and grow. A-and it means peaceful times are ahead and that the future is bright!" Lucy explained excitedly.

"Wow! That's so cool!"

Rachel beamed. "Yeah! And get this!" She motioned Noah to come closer, and whispered conspiratorially, "…it can travel through time!"

"No way!" Noah blurted out.

"Yes way!" Lucy and Rachel exclaimed at the same time. Their eyes widened at each other before they burst into giggles.

Mrs. Puckerman interrupted the kids. "Rachel, I assume you're staying for dinner?" At the tiny diva's excited nod, she turned to the other girl. "What about you, Miss Lucy Fabray, Rachel Barbra Berry's New Best Friend?" She asked with a smile.

Lucy ducked her head with a blush on her cheeks. "I-I'll have to ask my parents. May I use your phone?"

"Of course dear, right this way." She led the girl into the kitchen to the wall phone.

"Thank you." She said before dialing her house.

"_Hello?"_

"Hi Frannie."

"_Lucy Q? Where are you?"_ Frannie asked with a chuckle, though she was partially serious.

"I'm over Noah Puckerman's house."

"_Noah Puckerman?"_ Frannie asked wryly. She was hesitant about her little sister hanging around any boy after what those three punks did.

"Yeah! Rachel's friends with him!"

"_Oh, Rachel's with you?" _Frannie breathed a sigh of relief.

Lucy hummed an affirmative. "Oh, get this; he's the boy that saved me before!"

"_Oh, wow, Lucy. That's great. Did you thank him?"_

"Yuh huh. He's my friend now! Oh! Oh! And guess what!"

"_What, Lucy Q?" _ Frannie smiled at her little sister's excitement from her end of the phone.

"Rachel said I was her best friend!" Lucy grinned.

Rachel peeked over the couch when she heard her name. She smiled when she caught Lucy's gaze.

Lucy blushed and tuned back into the phone conversation.

"_Awe, Q, I'm so happy for you."_

The bespectacled girl's cheeks turned a darker pink.

"_Is that why you called me?"_ She asked in a teasing manner.

"Oh, no. Mrs. Puckerman asked if I was staying for dinner. Can you ask daddy if it's okay?"

Frannie paused before replying, _"Puckerman, was it?"_

"Mhmmm."

"_And Rachel's last name is Berry?"_

Lucy quirked an eyebrow and hesitantly answered. "Yes. Is—is that bad?" She gasped in realization. "Oh, no. Daddy will never allow this, huh?"

"…_Don't worry, little sis. Just…I'll pick you up around 8. Sound good?"_

"Okay! Thank you, Fran!" Lucy gave her the Puckerman's address. After a few more words, they exchanged goodbyes and hung up. When she turned around, she came face to face with Rachel and Noah.

"So?" The brunette asked eagerly.

"I can stay!"

"Awesome! Hey, Mom, Lucy's also staying for dinner!" Noah yelled while Rachel latched onto Lucy with a hug.

"Noah, I'm right here. There's no need to shout."

The boy sheepishly rubbed his head as Rachel slowly let go of the taller girl, both with heavy blushes donning their cheeks.

"So, you'll be staying, Lucy?" Mrs. Puckerman asked.

"Yes, ma'am!" Lucy stated with a grin. "My sister said she'll pick me up afterwards, around 8."

Everyone turned to Rachel when the diva let out a scandalized gasp. "Lucy! I didn't know you had a sister!"

"How could you? You've barely known her for two days—hey! Watch it!" Noah rubbed the spot on his head where Rachel bopped him. Again. He hoped this wouldn't become a reoccurring thing.

"Noah has a sister also. And she's still napping, so let's all use our inside voices, okay?" She gave a pointed look to the tiny brunette.

Rachel slapped a hand over her mouth before nodding in affirmative while Lucy chuckled at her frien—her _best_ friend's antics.

* * *

"Oh, there you are, Lucy!" Russell exclaimed when his two daughters walked through the door later that night. "Frannie said you stayed over for dinner with a couple of new friends. Did you have fun?" He asked, seeming genuinely interested.

It wasn't often his youngest daughter went over a friend's house.

Or at all.

"Yes, daddy. We had lots of fun!" Lucy beamed. If she noticed the drink in his hand, she didn't say anything.

"I'm glad."

Frannie gave a small smile and walked to the stairs.

Russell took a swig of his drink. "Who are these friends of yours?"

"Rachel Berry and Noah Puckerman!" She proudly stated.

Russell coughed on his drink.

"Shit." Muttered Frannie.

"Who?"

Lucy's eyes widened when she realized her slip-up. "Um…"

"You were with the spawn of those… those... _fag—"_

"Dad!" Frannie stormed into the room.

Lucy looked on helplessly as her sister and father argued.

She heard a noise in the kitchen and turned to see her mother watching the scene with a grimace on her face.

"Absolutely not! _Lucy!"_

Lucy whipped her head around at her father's voice.

"I forbid you from seeing those brats!"

"Dad!"

"But, but…" Lucy panicked. "We promised to meet every day with our Pokémon, a-and…" She gasped and slapped her hand over her mouth.

"Pokémon?" Russell belted out.

The bespectacled girl flinched.

Frannie stepped in front of her sister. "I don't see what the big deal is, dad. She's happy with her Pokémon and new friends. Isn't that all that matters?"

"No. I refuse to have my daughter associate with those brats!"

"Why not?" Frannie argued. "Pokémon are part of our world; they're not something that are just going to go away. And friendship is an important and natural part of childhood and you can't just _forbid_ your daughter from having them both!"

Russell's eyes flickered between his two daughters. His scowl slowly turned into a smirk. "You're right."

"W-what?" The young girl asked hesitantly.

"I can't forbid her from having _both_." He took a drink. "You can keep…whatever Pokémon it is you've been seeing."

Lucy's eyes widened while Frannie narrowed hers in suspicion.

"But you are to never see those kids again."

The girl looked completely lost as to what to do.

Frannie let out a laugh of disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"I…" Lucy trailed off as frustrated tears formed in her eyes.

"Lucy, don't listen to him—"

"It's either one or none, Lucy." The older Fabray quirked an eyebrow.

"Why are you being so mean?" Frannie shook her head.

The bespectacled girl broke her father's gaze by shutting her eyes tightly. "O-okay…" She mumbled before running up the stairs to her bedroom.

Russell took a triumphant sip. "I'd rather have my daughter hang around a mangy Pokémon than those brats." He muttered.

"Unbelievable."

"What was that, Francine?_"_

"Nothing, father."

* * *

The next day, Lucy arrived at the secret spot in the park earlier than usual. Eevee was already resting under the tire swing as she waited for the others to show up.

The Pokémon's ears twitched and she opened her eyes when Lucy stepped into the clearing. She trotted up to the young girl and nuzzled her leg.

Lucy fell to her knees and hugged the Pokémon to her. "Eevee... D-daddy said I could be your trainer…" She trailed off.

The Pokémon quirked her head sideways.

"B-but only if you want! I don't want to force you to make a decision because that would be cruel and unfair and, and, and…" Lucy didn't even know she was crying until the Eevee licked her tears away.

The Pokémon jumped out of her arms and sat on her hind legs, waiting.

Lucy took a deep breath before standing up. "O-okay." She reached into the backpack she brought along. After fumbling a bit, she finally retrieved the desired object. "Pokéball, go!"

A bright red light shot out of the pokéball, officially making Lucy Fabray the trainer of Eevee.

She exhaled and gazed at the ball with a fond smile, only to frown when she heard a familiar rustling in the bushes. She quickly hid herself behind a tree just as Rachel came skipping into the clearing with a picnic basket clutched in her arms. The brunette hummed a tune as she unfolded a blanket from the basket. Once she was satisfied with the placement of the blanket, she released her Eevee, Elphaba, and primly sat down with a smile on her face.

"I can't wait for Lucy and Noah to get here!" Lucy held back her tears as she quietly exited the clearing. "See this basket, Elphie? We're going to have a picnic! I hope Lucy likes what I made…"

* * *

The following Monday found Lucy walking the halls with her head down.

She was supposed to meet up with Rachel and Noah at the former's locker, but her father's words rang in her mind.

"Lucy!" She glanced up to see Rachel waving energetically at the meeting spot. The bespectacled girl picked up her pace when she noticed Rachel walking towards her.

"Lucy! Hey! Why didn't you show up yesterday? I was worried! Did you forget? I suppose not everyone has my impeccable memory—"

Lucy shrugged Rachel's hand off her shoulder when the brunette reached for her to slow down. "Don't touch me." She mumbled as she stared at the ground.

Rachel frowned. "A-are you okay, Lucy?" She hesitantly reached her hand out again but the taller girl sidestepped.

"_But you are to never see those kids again."_ Russell's harsh voice sounded in her mind. Lucy clenched her eyes shut and repeated louder, "I said don't touch me!"

Rachel's eyes widened. "L-Lucy…"

Said girl opened her eyes and finally looked at Rachel. "Keep your…" Lucy sucked in a breath at the brunette's confused gaze and blurted out, "Keep your manhands off me!"

Rachel flinched and covered her mouth with her hands to muffle a sob.

"Hey! What the hell, Luce?" Noah demanded as he jogged over to the scene.

Lucy shook her head in disbelief at what she just said. "I'm so sor—" She pictured her father's glare and stopped herself from apologizing. "I…I gotta go." She clutched her backpack straps and ran down the hall.

* * *

Lucy tried to avoid the two friends throughout the day; however, it seemed every corner she turned, Rachel's big brown eyes were gazing pleadingly at her. Or Noah was glaring at her.

She opened her locker and put away her books for the day. She looked down the hallway to see the coast was clear.

Her locker door slammed shut and she came face to face with Noah. "You wanna tell me why you're being such a bitch today?" So much for the coast being clear.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Lucy picked up her backpack off the ground and walked towards the exit.

Noah grabbed onto her arm. "Don't pull that crap! You know exactly—"

"Don't manhandle her, Noah!"

Lucy sighed as Rachel power walked down the hall towards them and reprimanded the boy. The sigh caught Rachel's attention, and she turned to Lucy with a tentative smile. "H-hello."

Noah growled. "I can't believe you're even talking to her with how she freaking ignored us today!" He turned on his heel and glared at Lucy. "_Especially_ after she called you… what was it? Oh, yeah. _Manhands!"_

Rachel winced. "While I didn't appreciate the name-calling," she rubbed her hands self-consciously and continued, "Lucy did ask me not to touch her, and I disregarded her wish and grasped her shoulder—"

"Are you serious?" Noah threw his hands in the air.

"W-well she did seem somewhat upset before I approached her. I realize now that even though I have dubbed her as one of my best friends, our friendship is technically still in the early developing stages and I must have crossed some boundary…"

Lucy grimaced as Rachel defended her and took the blame for something that was entirely not her fault. "We don't have a friendship."

"W-what?" Rachel gasped.

"I can't be your friend anymore…" Lucy trailed off when tears started pouring from Rachel's eyes.

"I—I don't… I don't understand!" Rachel stepped towards the other girl but Noah held her in place. Rachel ignored him and continued pleading. "Whatever it was I've done, I'm sorry!"

"Stop apologizing." Lucy muttered.

"I'm sorry—"

"You're so frustrating!" Lucy couldn't take Rachel blaming herself anymore.

The brunette closed her mouth. She stood limp in Noah's grasp. "Why are you being so mean?" She whimpered.

Lucy turned around and wiped at her eyes. She imagined Frannie from that night asking her father the same question. Her eyes widened.

Her father said to stay away from them. He didn't say… he didn't say she had to be so mean. She let out a pained gasp. _I'm just like him_, she thought.

Rachel's eyes snapped up to her. "Lucy… please…" Her voice cracked.

Lucy fumbled for her backpack and ran to the exit.

Rachel wheezed out a sob and collapsed to the ground. "You promised you'd never leave me!"

Noah knelt down next to her and rubbed soothing circles on her back. He looked up to see Lucy glance back with a distraught expression on her face.

What the hell was going on, he wondered.

* * *

Lucy slowed her brisk walk when she noticed multiple cars in the driveway. She walked up the steps to the front door but paused when she heard several voices inside. She wiped away the last of her tears before entering the Fabray manor.

She looked on in confusion. Men in business suits—and strangely enough, a few in tracksuits—were scattered throughout her house.

"Hi!"

She whipped her head to the side and was met with a guy that couldn't have been much older than her sister.

"What's your name?" The young man frowned as she continued to stare and remain silent. He scratched his head. "Ah, I get it!" He snapped his fingers and smiled. "It's a secret, isn't it? It all makes sense now!" He pointed at her. "You don't want the Decepticons to get you!"

Lucy quirked her lips up in an amused smile.

The young man internally sighed in relief that she understood the reference and he didn't end up looking like a fool. He glanced around the room to see his coworkers grimacing at him. Well, at least not a fool to this little girl with the sad eyes. He knelt down beside her and whispered conspiratorially, "My name is Cooper." He subtly nodded to the other men in the room, "Don't worry; It just looks like I'm with Team Sy—I mean, the Decepticons. But I promise I'm not a bad guy. May I know your name?"

Lucy grinned, blissfully unaware of how much truth Cooper's words held. She whispered back to him, "M-my name's Lucy."

"That's a very pretty name for a very pretty girl, Lucy."

"Th-thank you." Lucy blushed; no one other than Frannie had ever called her pretty.

Cooper looked at his watch; the meeting wasn't going to start for another ten minutes. He suddenly jumped up. "Oh, no! Here come the Decepticons!"

The girl's eyes widened. "What? Where?"

Cooper pointed out the window. "Over there!" At the kitchen. "There!" Around the living room. "There!"

Lucy caught onto the game and giggled. "We have to escape!" She grabbed onto the older boy's arm and led him through the home and out the backdoor.

Ken Tanaka sneered as he watched the two go to the backyard. Cooper caught sight of him out of the corner of his eye. "It's Megatron!" He stuck his hand out and pretended to fire at the house while making shooting noises . "Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!" He grasped his shirt dramatically and fell to the ground. "I've been hit! Lucy, help me!"

Lucy stopped laughing and nodded determinedly. "Pew! Pew!" She gasped and pointed upwards. "Oh, no! They're attacking from the sky!"

Cooper looked up at the clear blue sky and grinned. He used to love playing Transformers with his younger brother. He put on a serious expression when he looked back at Lucy. "We're going to have to call in for aerial backup!" He reached for a pokéball hanging from his belt. "Go, Xatu!"

Lucy's eyes widened in wonderment as the mystic Pokémon appeared and settled itself on Cooper's shoulder. "A-and for reinforcement from the ground!" She reached for her own pokéball from the bookbag that was still on her back.

"_Vee!"_ Eevee appeared and looked on in confusion before her eyes landed on the man a few feet away. She gave a happy yip and scuttled towards him.

Cooper's mouth opened in shock as the little dog-like Pokémon with a messed up left ear pawed excitedly at his feet. Lucy ran after Eevee and scooped her up in her arms. He turned to Xatu with a look of wonderment before grinning.

He couldn't think of a better person to have befriended the little Pokémon.

He snapped out of his thoughts when a voice floated throughout the backyard. "What's going on out here?" The two humans turned and saw Frannie making her way towards them.

"We're battling the Decepticons, Fran!" Lucy answered excitedly, and continued to 'shoot' at the enemy with one hand while she held Eevee in the other. Xatu flew off Cooper's shoulder to a branch and kept a watchful eye on the scene.

Frannie raised a skeptical eyebrow.

Cooper lowered his voice, "She walked through the front door and looked ready to burst into tears." Frannie's eyes widened. She whipped her head towards her sister. "I just wanted to cheer her up a little. Kids shouldn't be sad; especially not in their own home." He ran his hand through his hair and shrugged.

The older Fabray turned back to him and smiled gratefully. "I'm Frannie."

He grinned and shook her hand. "I'm—"

"Cooper!" The two jumped. Ken stood in the doorway. "The meeting is about to start."

Cooper sighed. "Duty calls." He brought out his pokéball and walked to Lucy. "Lucy! Great job! While not completely defeated, I believe you've lowered the Decepticons' defenses just enough to ensure victory in the future!" He called back Xatu.

Lucy called back Eevee as well and gave Cooper a mock salute. "I'll do all I can, sir!"

"I know you will!" The young man returned the gesture. "You're destined for great things."

"Come on, you two; let's get back inside," Frannie laughed.

* * *

"Ah, about time, Mr. Anderson." Russell called out. His eyes narrowed when he saw his two daughters trailing behind the young man. "Lucy, dear, shouldn't you be at the park with your… Pokémon?"

An idea formed in Frannie's mind. She jumped in before Lucy could answer, "As a matter of fact, daddy, I was just about to drop her off." She looked around the room at the business men and smiled sweetly. "We're going to meet up with her friends, Rachel and Noah, and train together."

Lucy gasped. "But, Frannie—"

Howard Bamboo cut in, oblivious to the tension in the room. "Such good parenting, Russell. I wish my dad had let me train Pokémon with friends at such a young age."

Several other men in the room nodded, while some—mostly Ken Tanaka—shook their heads in disgust.

Frannie grimaced before putting on her fake smile. "Yes, my daddy knows that friendship and Pokémon are an important and natural part of childhood." She turned to the elder Fabray with a glower. "Right, father?"

Russell surveyed the room; his colleagues were watching him expectantly. He tapped his fingers in annoyance against the glass in his hand before responding, "Yes, absolutely, Francine."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Y-you mean I'm allowed to see Rachel and Noah—"

Russell flared his nostrils in distaste. "Yes, yes, now run along." He quickly waved her off.

Frannie smirked and grabbed Lucy's hand. "Have a lovely meeting, father!" She called out and ran out the door.

Lucy giggled excitedly as she and her sister skipped down the sidewalk. She would get to hang out with her friends again! _"We don't have a friendship."_ She stopped abruptly as her words from earlier struck her thoughts.

"What's wrong, Lucy Q?"

"Frannie…" The younger girl trailed off as tears started to form in her eyes. "I did something bad."

* * *

"Rach, can't we just go back to my house?"

"No, Noah. Your mother said it was of the utmost importance that we go to the park."

"Yeah, but are you sure you're okay with what happened with Lu—"

"I'm fine, Noah." Rachel quickly cut him off. The two friends sat in silence—with the occasional sniffle from Rachel—before some rustling could be heard from the bushes.

"What are _you _doing here?" Noah growled when he saw Lucy.

Lucy sputtered for a response before her sister also entered the clearing. "We're here to talk."

"And who are you?" He sneered.

"I'm Lucy's sister." She answered.

Rachel watched the scene with wide eyes. So _this_ was Frannie!

"Come on, Rach, we're going back to my house."

"W-wait!" Lucy shouted.

Frannie put a hand on her shoulder and addressed the two kids. "Noah, was it?" The boy crossed his arms and glared. Frannie tried not to roll her eyes at the boy's antics. "I called your mom earlier and asked her to tell you guys to come here."

"…Why?" Rachel finally spoke. She looked at Lucy with her big brown eyes.

Lucy met her gaze with her own shiny ones. "Rachel, I'm so sorry for—"

"No!" Noah intervened. "You don't get to… to… just apologize and think you'll be off the hook!"

"Noah," Rachel tried.

"No, Rach, she made you cry!"

"She's not faring any better!" Rachel argued. She didn't understand what was going on, but her Lucy said she was sorry and tears were streaming down her face and all Rachel wanted to do was hug her and never let go.

"If you'll all just sit down…" Frannie gestured with her arm.

Rachel sat down on a bench. Noah scoffed defiantly. The young brunette grabbed his arm sleeve and pulled him down next to her.

Lucy hesitantly sat down on the ground, and Frannie lowered herself onto the tire swing.

"Okay," Frannie started, "my dad's a jackass."

So the two Fabrays explained Russell's bigotry and the ultimatum he had given Lucy days prior. Somewhere throughout the story, Rachel had left her spot by Noah and wrapped her arms around Lucy.

"I'm so sorry you felt so helpless." Rachel wept as she clung to Lucy.

The bespectacled girl shook her head. "N-no, Rachel, it's my fault!"

"The only thing that was your fault was calling Rachel that mean name." Noah spoke as he stood up and walked over to the two. Lucy buried her head in Rachel's neck in shame. "But I guess I get it. I know what it's like to try to make your old man happy," Noah scrunched his nose up, "and then for him to be a jackass in return."

"Noah…" Rachel gently chided.

"What? She said it first!" He pointed to Frannie.

The older Fabray watched the three kids rekindle their friendship. Yeah, she knew a thing or two about jackass fathers, but she also knew hers was too proud to make a scene in front of his colleagues. She smirked at the thought. His hubris attitude came in handy for once.

"I truly am sorry about that, Rachel." Lucy said.

The tiny brunette stood up and held her hand out to pull Lucy up from the ground. Lucy hesitantly reached for it. Rachel kept hold of her hand and gave a small smile. "I forgive you."

"But I was so mean—"

"You were feeling pressured by the expectations set by your father, and lashed out accordingly."

"But—"

"Anyone in that situation would have done the same."

"But—"

Rachel put a finger on Lucy's lips. She stared into hazel eyes as she realized the root of the other girl's troubles. "You are nothing like your father." Lucy went to protest again, but Rachel continued, "You are a kind and beautiful individual, Lucy Quinn Fabray—"

"Gag!" Noah rolled his eyes. Girls were too mushy. "So are we all good again?"

Lucy quickly nodded and hugged Rachel. "I promise I'll never leave you again."

Rachel held on tighter and mumbled, "You'd better not."

Frannie nudged Noah. The boy looked at her in confusion before she nodded towards the two girls. He sighed in mock exasperation and trudged up to them. Lucy looked up from Rachel's shoulder at him. "Just fyi, if something like this ever happens again, _talk_ to us instead of acting like a bitch."

"Noah!"

He ignored Rachel's reprimand and wrapped his arms around the two girls.

Frannie watched the scene before making her way out of the park. That was the first test the kids' friendship had to go through and she only hoped it would be the last.

She slowed her pace when the Fabray manor came into sight. She gripped Vulpix's pokéball and opened the door.

"Francine, there's something my associates and I have been discussing…"

* * *

_**Two years later…**_

Lucy awoke with a smile on her face. Yesterday was amazing for her and her friends! Rachel's Elphaba had evolved into Espeon right before Azimio and his goons could pull a prank on the smaller girl. The normal type Pokémon was now an agile psychic type that chased the bullies away from them during recess. And then later that evening at the park, her own Eevee took one look at Espeon before…

"_Bre!"_

Umbreon jumped up on the girl's bed. Lucy didn't know if it was a result of seeing Elphaba in the next evolutionary stage, but her own Eevee started to glow and transform in the moonlight last night. Before the humans knew it, a strong dark type Pokémon stood in the tiny brown dog's place.

And not only that, Noah had caught a Geodude!

She scratched Umbreon behind the ears and smiled. Yes, yesterday was a fun day. She couldn't wait to tell Frannie all about it this morning! She hopped off her bed and made her way towards the bathroom. Maybe since today was Saturday, her sister could join her and her friends at the park later!

She did her morning routine before making her way to Frannie's room. Her jaw dropped when she opened the door.

The room was completely empty.

She ran downstairs. "Frannie? Frannie!—oomf!"

"Whoa, slow down there, squirt!"

Lucy looked up at her father. "Daddy, where's Frannie?"

Russell took a sip of his drink. "She's…"

"…_notorious league of criminals, Team Sylvester, are—"_

Russell shut the television off before turning back to his daughter. "She's gone away for a while, dear."

"What? But why? And _where?_" Lucy cried out.

"She's decided it would be best to give up the little fantasy of being Pokémon Champion. Instead, she's continuing her studies abroad at Crawford County University." Russell nodded.

"But being Pokémon Champion is all she's ever wanted!"

Russell narrowed his eyes before taking another drink. "Yes, well, it's something she and I have been discussing for the past few years. I've dec—I mean, _we_ have decided it's for the best."

"B-but…" Lucy trailed off with tears in her eyes.

Russell reached out to pat her shoulder, but the young girl shrugged him off and ran out the door. Umbreon noticed a piece of paper hanging out of the older man's back pocket. She growled and lunged for it before chasing after her trainer.

Lucy pulled the cell phone Frannie bought her for her 12th birthday out.

"_**The number you have dialed is no longer in service."**_

Lucy's eyes widened in shock. She quickly pressed the second speed dial on the phone. The other person picked up before the first ring could even finish. "Rachel…"

* * *

"And her room was empty! Completely wiped out!" Lucy sobbed into Rachel's shoulder.

Noah furrowed his brows in confusion as Rachel softly cooed at Lucy and calmed her down.

"I just don't get it…" Lucy whimpered. "She didn't even say goodbye…"

"Maybe…Maybe she didn't have time? You know how Russell is. I bet Fran totally wanted to say bye to you, but he was rushing her!" Noah tried. He looked at the sight in sympathy, and noticed Lucy's newly evolved Umbreon sitting off to the side. "Hey, what's that?" He walked up to the Pokémon and picked up the crumbled piece of paper lying next to her. "Look at this!"

The two girls looked at the boy. "What is it, Noah?"

"It's addressed to you, Luce! It's… it's from Fran!"

Lucy jumped out of Rachel's arms and ran towards him. "Where'd you get this?" He pointed at Umbreon. "Umbreon?" The dark Pokémon barked. Lucy pried open the note and read it.

"_Dear Lucy Q,_

_I'm sorry you had to find out at the last minute that I'm going away for awhile. Things are complicated at the moment. I don't have time to explain everything, but just know that I love you and we WILL see each other again._

_Oh, and don't let anything dad says get to you while I'm away; he's a jackass. As a matter of fact, don't let anyone get you down. I know things are tough right now, but you are so strong and brave. And with the people and Pokémon you love by your side… well, you're unstoppable. _

_You're destined for great things, Lucy Q._

_See you soon._

_-Frannie."_

"I don't understand what's going on," Lucy started, "but she said we'll see each other again." She nodded determinedly. "Frannie always keeps her promises." She sniffled and folded the note back up and put it in her pocket.

"Oh, Lucy Q…" Rachel trailed off while running her hand through the taller girl's hair.

It was silent for a while until she looked up with a thoughtful gaze. "I want to be called that from now on."

"Lucy Q?" Rachel questioned.

Lucy nodded, but then quickly shook her head. "Wait, no." She sniffled. "I don't want to cry every time someone tries calling my name." She gave a halfhearted laugh that turned into a sob.

"What about Q?" Noah offered as he watched Rachel hold the other girl.

"A one lettered name; very mysterious." Rachel attempted to lighten the mood.

Lucy pulled away from the embrace with a watery laugh. "That could work." She then had a pondering look on her face. "Or… What about… What about Quinn?"

"You mean your middle name?" Noah asked unnecessarily.

The girl nodded self-consciously.

"I think it's a beautiful name," Rachel smiled, "Quinn."

The blonde wiped at her eyes and beamed at her two friends.

"_Machoke!"_

"Oh, wow! A Machoke!" Noah broke the peaceful atmosphere with his excitement. He took his pokédex out of his back pocket and pointed it at the macho Pokémon.

"**Machoke: The Superpower Pokémon. Machoke's thoroughly toned body possesses the hardness of steel. Because its body never gets tired, Machoke will gladly help with tough and physical labor that is too difficult for a human. The belt worn around its waist is used to keep its overwhelming power under control."**

"Man, that is one badass Pokémon!" Noah exclaimed. The fighting type Pokémon was released from its ball by a construction worker. It walked up to a pile of cinderblocks and carried them to a construction site nearby.

Rachel glanced at Lucy—_no, she's Quinn now_, she reminded herself.—and saw she was grateful for the distraction. The brunette knew that even though the other girl was putting on a strong façade, she was still torn up about the whole situation. But Rachel also knew how her friend dealt with things; The Fabray Way was to push it aside. She'll call the blonde later tonight and ask how she's doing, but right now, she'll offer the change of topic she knew the girl needed to currently get her mind off things.

Rachel squeezed Quinn's hand before she spoke. "I'm surprised our small town is getting a Pokémon lab. Although…" She trailed off with a contemplative look before smirking. "Yes. Of course. I get it now." At the confused looks she gained from her friends, she continued, "This park is a designated rest spot for trainers when they go on their journeys; a pokélab smack dab in the middle is bound to get a plethora of business. This professor must be a genius. Whoever he is, I applaud him. Brava! Brava…" She trailed off at a sight in the distance.

"Mr. Mime! Will you stop using LightScreen and please help me carry this paperwork—" A tall curly haired man cut off his sentence with a yelp as the human-like Pokémon slapped him in the face.

"_Mime! Mime!"_ The Pokémon angrily shouted before lighting its hands back up with a grin and continuing its miming.

"What just happened?" Noah asked. At the blank looks on his friends' faces, he pointed the pokédex that was still in his hand towards the scene.

"**Mr. Mime. The Barrier Pokémon. It uses the mysterious power it has in its fingers to solidify air into an invisible wall. If interrupted while it is miming, it will slap around the offender with its broad hands."**

Noah belt out a laugh. "Holy crap. That dude just got bitch slapped!"

"I believe the move was DoubleSlap," offered a new voice.

The friends turned and were met with Artie Abrams, a classmate of theirs.

"What are you doing here, Artie?" The blonde asked.

"Well, Lucy—"

"Quinn!" Rachel quickly interrupted.

Artie's eyes widened at the sudden outburst. "What?"

"She goes by Quinn now." The brunette smiled at said girl.

"Quinn?" At the blonde's tentative nod, he continued, "Okay…Quinn…" He trailed off in confusion, but continued, "I heard the professor was in town to finalize some papers for his pokélab. I was hoping to meet him!"

Noah chuckled at his classmate's enthusiasm. "Well, don't let us stop you."

"Thanks. I'll see ya in class." He turned his chair around and wheeled in the direction they were just looking at. "Professor Schuester!"

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Quinn deadpanned as she and the others watched the curly haired man stop rubbing at his sore cheek to greet Artie. "_He_ is the professor?"

"I take back what I said about the professor being a genius."

"And I reinforce what I said earlier—"

"You mean 'reiterate.'"

"—Whatever, Rach. I _reiterate _what I said earlier; the dude got bitch slapped! And by such a puny looking Pokémon, too. I mean, I'd get if it was Machoke."

Quinn turned to the bickering duo. "What is it with you and Machokes?"

"Like I said, Lu—I mean, Quinn." He shrugged apologetically at his slip up before continuing. "They're badass! I'm gonna have one someday!"Noah flexed his muscles and posed. He was 12 now and quite proud of the growth spurt he was going through… even if his voice did occasionally crack. His eyes lit up as a thought occurred to him. "If I'm gonna own a badass Pokémon, I gotta have a badass name! I want to be called Puck from now on!"

"It sounds like you've thought about this before." Quinn teased.

The boy blushed. "Shut it. You go by Quinn now, so I wanna go by Puck."

"Yes! Brilliant!" Rachel shouted. "We can all go by nicknames! This is like a rite of passage into teenhood! Okay, from now on, I shall be known as Rachel Barbra Liza Gold Star LuPone Faberry the Great!"

Quinn and Puck gawked at her.

"Yeah… No, we're not calling you that."

"Why not, _Noah?_" The tiny diva stomped her foot.

"It's _Puck_ now! And because that's too long! And… and… just plain stupid. We're not gonna—"

"Stupid?" Rachel crossed her arms and glared at the boy.

Quinn quickly cut into the argument with a question. "Hey, wait. Hold on! What's a Faberry? Is it some type of new pokéberry?"

Rachel's mouth snapped shut as a blush appeared along her cheeks. Realization dawned in Puck's eyes and he smirked.

"What? Am I missing something here?" Quinn huffed.

The brunette sputtered for a response while Puck laughed out, "Apparently it's the oblivious type of berry."

"What?"

Puck chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing, Q. It's nothing. Hey, I don't know about you two, but I haven't had breakfast yet. Let's go back to my house!"

Rachel sighed in relief. Puck had been teasing her more and more lately in regards to their blonde friend, but he always had her back in the end. She smiled at him as he threw his arms over both the girls' shoulders and guided them out the park.

"Hey, wait!" They stopped abruptly at Rachel's outburst. "I still want a nickname!"

* * *

**A/N:** There are currently more than 600 Pokémon, but for the sake of this fic (and everyone's sanity), I'm only going up to the second generation which contains 251. I obviously won't be using all of them; just the ones that I think the characters would own or encounter.

Please review if you liked this chapter, have any suggestions for future Pokémon you may want to see in the story, or have any critiques! All feedback is appreciated!


	4. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Glee is not mine, and the only Pokémon I own are in my video games.

**A/N:** Thank you, thank you, thank you for the kind words about the last chapter. Here's chapter 2 (Oh, and also a time jump… but it's the last one, I swear!)

* * *

_**4 years later…**_

"My dads are gay and unless you want the force of the American Civil Liberties Union coming down on you, I demand you release me this instant!"

Quinn perked her head up at the familiar dialogue and internally groaned when she looked down the hall. She slammed her locker shut and sprinted to the scene.

"Ugh, you're just as annoying as you were when we were ten!"

"And you're just as barbaric!" Rachel huffed and attempted to cross her arms, only to remember they were currently immobile because of the neanderthal in front of her.

"Y'know, Berry, I'm sick of you using all these big words to talk down to me. You think you're so much better than everyone just 'cause Fabray's your bitch?"

"Don't you _dare_ use that word in regards to Quinn! Why I ought to…" The tiny diva grumbled and attempted to wiggle free from her entrapment. Someone running towards the scene caught Rachel's attention. She sighed in relief and immediately stopped struggling.

"That's exactly what she is. She's like your damn lap dog—Hey, what the hell are you smiling about?" Rick sneered at the girl in front of him. He glowered when he noticed her smirk.

"Lap dog, eh?"

The hockey player's eyes widened. He slowly turned around and came face to face with head cheerleader, Quinn Fabray.

The girl stood with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. Long gone was the shy and bespectacled girl the boy and his friends once made fun of. He gulped as she took a step closer. He didn't know what caused the change, but four years ago she stopped being such a pushover and slowly but surely became the Head Bitch in Charge. She was no longer on the end of insults and immature Pokémon pranks; however, that wasn't the case for Rachel Berry. Try as Quinn might to protect one of her best friends from being on the receiving end as well, she couldn't be with her 24/7. Most of the students steered clear of Berry when Fabray or Puckerman were around. But on the off chance that she was alone, people like Rick would take the opportunity to make fun of the girl or pull a 'harmless' prank. Except for Finn. The hockey player rolled his eyes in thought. Somewhere along the line, the tall boy developed a crush.

Movement out of the corner of his eye shook the mullet haired boy from his reverie.

"Since you want to talk about dogs so much, how about this?" Quinn smirked cruelly before throwing out a pokéball. "Go, Umbreon!"

"_Breon!_"

"Umbreon, use Quick Attack!"

Before Rick could comprehend what happened, the dark type dog Pokémon ran at full force and knocked his Beedrill to the ground.

"Shit. Beedrill, return!" The bully returned his Pokémon to its pokéball. He nervously glanced at the girl glaring in front of him. "L-listen, Fabray… it was just a joke—"

"A joke where you had your pathetic bug use String Shot and _attach Rachel to a wall_?" The blonde arched an eyebrow. "What, were you just gonna leave her there? How is that supposed to be funny?" The hockey player opened his mouth to respond, but Quinn cut him off. "No, I don't want to hear it. You know the rules; Rachel is off limits!" She accentuated with a shove to his shoulder. "Now get out of my sight before I make my Pokémon use an attack on _you_ like you did to Rachel."

"Fabray, I don't see the big deal. It was just String Shot!"

Quinn glared at the boy before she turned her attention to the girl stuck to the wall. Her eyes softened. "Rachel, are you hurt?"

The tiny brunette huffed. "Honestly, Q, I'm just extremely irritated and uncomfortable and would like to be released so we can go home."

"Right, gotcha. I'll be quick." The cheerleader nodded and turned back around to Rick. "Umbreon, use Shadow Ball."

"Wait! She said she wasn't hurt—"

"Rick, I don't see the big deal. It's just Shadow Ball." Quinn mocked. A dark purple sphere formed in front of Umbreon. Rick's eyes widened before he turned and ran towards the exit of the school.

The purple ball dissipated as Quinn burst into laughter.

"Quinn." Rachel chided.

"I wasn't actually going to use it on him…" She grumbled. She walked towards her friend and started to tear the web off.

Once enough of it was gone that she could remove herself from the wall, Rachel jumped into the blonde's arms. "Thank you."

Quinn wrapped her arms around Rachel tightly. "Are you okay?" She felt Rachel nod against her shoulder. Quinn ran her hands through the girl's hair, and blushed when she caught her gaze. "Y-you had some of the web stuck there…" She mumbled.

Rachel opened her mouth to respond, but—

"Rachel! Rachel, are you okay?"

She rolled her eyes instead and extracted herself out of Quinn's embrace. She turned to find Finn Hudson bumbling down the hallway towards them.

"Are…" The tall boy panted. "Are you okay? Azimio told me during lunch what Rick was gonna do!" He gulped in a deep breath.

"Because you know all about using a Pokémon to attack an innocent girl, huh, Hudson?" Puck growled as he made his appearance. He quickly drew Rachel into a hug and nodded to Quinn. "Sorry I wasn't here earlier. Once I heard Azimio laughing with his buddies about how that asshole Rick was gonna stick Rach to the wall and just leave her here all night…I just… I got so pissed." He clenched his fists.

"Noah!" Rachel gasped when she noticed the bruising on Puck's knuckles. She picked up his hand and examined it. "It's the last day of sophomore year! Couldn't you have gone just _today_ without picking a fight?"

Puck withdrew his hand sheepishly. "Hey, it was just Azimio. Besides, he's lucky I didn't send Geodude out on them. Or even worse; Pikachu." He patted the part of his belt where his pokéballs were hanging securely. "I almost pummeled Rick when I saw him running to the exit, but figured Q here was the reason he was running in the first place. Am I right?" He chortled when Quinn just smirked.

"_Bre!"_

They all looked downwards at the moonlight Pokémon. "My bad!" He knelt down to pet her fur. "Big bad Umbreon here played a part in it too, didn't ya? Yes you did!" Puck cooed. He ruffled her fur some more before he noticed the amused expressions of those around him. He quickly stood up with a glare. It only intensified when he noticed Finn still standing there. "And what about you, Finny boy?"

"What?"

"What'd you do to help?"

"Well, I—I told you. I got here as soon as Azimio told me…"

Quinn interrupted with a loud scoff. "Oh, please. You _just_ said he told you during lunch. I know you probably can't read a clock, but it's the end of the school day. Not like you would have done anything anyway; you're too much of a wuss to go against Azimio—"

"Quinn!" Rachel put her hand on the blonde's arm.

The cheerleader took a deep breath before leveling the tall boy with a glare of her own.

Puck broke the silence, "What would you have done anyway? Have Magikarp use Vine Whip?"

"Puck…" Rachel gently chided, but even she had to look away as she tried to stifle a giggle.

Finn's face turned red. "I don't need this shit." He kicked a locker before storming away.

"Oh, wow, Rach. I think he just gave you a run for your money with that diva storm out." Quinn said. "Umbreon, return!" A red light shot out, returning the Pokémon to its temporary home.

"Oh, please. No one can top our little diva here!" Puck teased as he threw his arms around the two girls and led them towards the exit.

* * *

"Hey Artie!" Quinn greeted as she and her two friends walked through the park together to their respective homes.

The brown haired boy paused his ministrations to greet his classmates. "S'up, guys?"

"Not much, bro. Hey, what's goin' on here?" Puck inquired.

It wasn't uncommon to see the bespectacled boy in the park ever since Professor Schuester took him in as an apprentice. What was uncommon, though, was the gigantic delivery truck in front of the Pokémon lab.

"It's that time of year again! Professor Schue—"

"Sign here, please." A delivery man hopped out from the back of the truck and thrust a clipboard to Artie.

"Oh, yes, right." Artie signed the papers. The delivery guy grabbed the clipboard back from him, and then placed a box in the boy's lap. "Wow, this is awesome! Th—"

The guy hopped back in his truck and drove off.

"—ank you…" Artie trailed off.

"Rude." Rachel quipped from her spot on the ground. She was petting Artie's fire Pokémon, Arcanine.

Quinn's lip curled in amusement at the sight before she did a double take. "Wait, Artie, when did you get an Arcanine?"

The bespectacled boy's eyes lit up in excitement. "Professor Schuester received a package of evolutionary stones a few days ago. I snuck a fire stone from the pack and used it on Growlithe." He stated with a cheeky grin.

"You sneaky badass!" Puck smirked. He took his pokédex out of his back pocket and pointed it towards the Pokémon.

"**Arcanine: A fire type Pokémon. Arcanine is the evolved form of Growlithe. Arcanine is known for its high speed. It is said to be capable of running over ****6,200 miles**** in a single day and night. The fire that blazes wildly within this Pokémon's body is its source of power."**

"Amazing…" Rachel trailed off with wonderment in her eyes.

"Awesome! Oh, hey speaking of packages…" He nodded to the recent one the delivery man dropped off.

"Oh, yeah." Artie said as he started to roll towards the pokélab. He nodded for the others to follow. "School is officially out and it's the start of summer vacation." He stated as Rachel opened the door. "So you know what that means!"

"It's Pokémon Journey Time!" An exuberant Professor Schuester said when he caught the tail end of the conversation.

"Yep! And Professor Schue, your packages came just in time!"

"Thanks, Artie!" The curly haired man clapped as he walked towards the teens.

"But that doesn't tell us what's in the box." Puck pointed out.

Professor Schue motioned for them to follow him to his desk. He opened the box and…

"Oh, wow! Are those—?"

"Yep!" Professor Schue answered Rachel's unfinished question. "Starter Pokémon! One is essential to any trainer looking to start their Pokémon journey!"

The group gathered around and gazed at the plethora of pokéballs.

"Kick ass. Can we see 'em?" Puck asked. He reached towards the box, but was swatted away by Rachel.

"Noah, unless you're planning on going on a Pokémon journey this summer, it's ill-advised to look at any of these Starter Pokémon. I mean, what if once it's out of its ball, it expects to go on an adventure with you? You'll be disappointing the poor thing!"

"Rachel's right, Puck. Unless…" Professor Schuester trailed off before visibly brightening. "You _are_ going to go on a journey?"

"Nah, sorry, Schue."

The professor looked towards Quinn.

"I'm lucky to even own a Pokémon." She deadpanned.

He finally turned towards Rachel.

"I refuse to go on a Pokémon journey without my best friends." She crossed her arms. Quinn frowned at this information.

Professor Schuester sighed. "That's too bad. The official Elite Four members changed the guidelines and made it so gyms and the stadium are only open during the three months of summer break. While journeys no longer interfere with schools or jobs, that _does_ put a little bit of a time limit on anyone hoping to become Champion." He closed the box back up. "You three are, what, sixteen? Now's the perfect time to branch out and go on a journey." With those parting words, he walked through a backdoor of the lab.

The atmosphere of the room became tense before the backdoor flew back open. "Oh, Artie! I almost forgot! Congratulations on your Arcanine! I don't know how you managed to evolve it without the use of any evolutionary stones. It's truly a phenomenon! You'll have to explain to me later every single detail that happened prior to its evolution!" Professor Schuester smiled at the group one last time as he once again went back to the backroom.

The tense atmosphere broke as the group laughed at the boy's expense.

"Good luck with that one, bro." Puck quipped.

Artie grimaced. "It's times like this where I wish _I_ could go on a Pokémon journey…"

"Don't we all?" Puck sympathized.

"My chair unfortunately prohibits me from traveling across the lands and going on a journey, but _you _guys could go for me!"

Quinn shook her head. "We already told you; two-thirds of us can't go, and the other is stubborn and won't go without us. No matter how many times we tell her to… _year after year_."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Nope. Not without you."

Puck coughed.

The brunette's eyes widened. "…without you…you two! Not without you two!" She quickly corrected herself.

Artie shrugged. "Well, suit yourselves. But if you ever change your minds, you know where to find me."

The three left the pokélab shortly after and eventually parted to head their separate ways home.

* * *

Quinn stopped in front of her home when she saw a few cars parked along the road. A weird sense of déjà vu went through her; she shook it off and opened the door. She dropped her bookbag to the floor in order to untie her shoes. She went to pick her bag back up when various voices in the kitchen caught her attention.

"—ideas in order to fund the research project?"

"What if we open up a casino of sorts—"

"Quinnie!" The blonde whipped her head around at the voice. Her mother stood in the hallway. "Did you just get home?"

"Uh," Quinn glanced at the kitchen. The voices quieted down as they noticed they had an audience. "Yeah. Just now."

Her mother shut her eyes in relief before she addressed her daughter. "Your father's having a very important meeting right now. Why don't you run along to your room until he's done?"

Quinn quirked an eyebrow but nodded nonetheless. She was halfway up the stairs before she remembered her bookbag by the door. She rolled her eyes at herself and trotted back down the steps.

"—almost found out."

"If worst comes to worse, I'll send her off like I did Francine."

Quinn gasped and alerted the men of her presence. She ignored their panicked expressions as she stormed into the kitchen. "What do you mean you sent Frannie away?"

"Lucy Q, darling—"

"Don't call me that! Only Frannie can call me that!" Had this been any other time or about any other person, Quinn would never have spoken up as she did then.

Russell's eyes narrowed. He looked around at his colleagues before standing up. "Quinn." The blonde glared at her father. He took a step and continued, "I've told you; your sister decided to continue her studies—"

"Stop lying to me!"

Judy's eyes widened as she watched from the archway.

It was silent as Quinn stared her father down. Her eyes widened as realization hit her. "You…" She gave a deprecating laugh. "You sent her away to that school because you couldn't stand the thought of your own daughter doing what _she_ wanted, huh? You forced her away! If she's not here, then how could she be a problem for you? Isn't that right?"

Russell quirked his eyebrows up. He glanced at one of his co-workers, Dustin Goolsby, from the corner of his eye. Dustin subtly nodded his head. The older Fabray ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "Yes, I sent her away to that… school. It was for her own good."

Quinn scoffed. "It all makes sense now. The reason she didn't say goodbye? How quickly you packed away her things as if you never even had another daughter?" Her voice rose as she ticked off each moment.

"Quinnie—"

The blonde whirled around to her mother. "And you!" Tears started to leak from her eyes. "I can't believe you'd let him ship off your own daughter!" She choked back a sob.

Judy gasped at the accusation. Her hands shook as she spoke, "The situation was out of my control."

Quinn scoffed. "Keep telling yourself that, mom." She furiously wiped at her eyes and said, "Maybe one of these days you'll believe it."

Judy flinched at the words.

Quinn shook her head and continued, "You know what? I'm happy Frannie's gone." Her parents' eyebrows rose; Judy's in shock and Russell's in curiosity. Quinn took a step back towards the staircase. "Wherever she's at is probably better than living here!" She screamed at them and ran up the steps, her bedroom door slamming after her.

She heaved in a breath as she slid down against her door-frame. She buried her head in her hands and groaned in frustration. The pokéball attached to her skirt—specifically designed to hold them thanks to her cheerleading coach, Roz Washington, demanding the school dip into the budget for new and improved uniforms—opened on its own.

"_Bre!"_ Umbreon appeared in front of her trainer. She looked at the distressed girl and barked. She stood up on her hind legs and hit her front paws together. Quinn gave a watery chuckle as she realized what her Pokémon was doing; she was using the move Helping Hand to cheer her up. _"Umbreon! Bre!"_

"Come'ere, you." Quinn grabbed the dark type Pokémon and hugged her to her chest. She idly noted how Umbreon was sprawled across her lap as opposed to how she used to fit perfectly on it as an Eevee.

Quinn sniffed and ran her hand through the dog-like Pokémon's fur. "What am I going to do, Umbreon…" She trailed off as Umbreon's ears perked up. The Pokémon squirmed out of her grasp and scuttled towards her bed. "Umbreon?"

The moonlight Pokémon looked back at her before crawling under the bed.

"Umbreon, what are you doing?"

Her answer came as a red backpack was being nudged out from underneath by Umbreon. The Pokémon hurried out from under the bed and sat next to the bag. She gave out a bark.

Quinn raised an eyebrow. "That's…Frannie gave it to me for my eleventh birthday… It was her old backpack she used when she tried to go on a journey before daddy stopped her. She told me to use it if I ever try going on one… Umbreon, I don't understa—"

The Pokémon growled—and Quinn swore she even rolled her eyes—and put a strap in her mouth and dragged the item to her trainer's feet. She gave a pointed bark.

Quinn's eyes widened in realization. She fumbled for her phone as she knelt down and examined the bag.

It was in mostly perfect condition.

The phone rang once, twice…

"Hey, Artie…"

* * *

Quinn stayed locked in her room for the rest of the evening and waited until morning to make her move. She opened her bedroom window and gulped. She took a steadying breath.

She wasn't head cheerleader for nothing.

With that mindset, she fastened the red backpack tighter and jumped. She landed shakily on her feet and fell down to her knees in relief.

"It's a good thing you changed outta that cheerleader uniform or else that woulda hurt like a bitch." Puck quipped as he emerged from the bushes. "Though," he leered at her in the morning sunlight, "it's also a damn shame to cover those legs—Ouch!"

Rachel huffed after bopping him in the head. She walked up to Quinn and held her hand out.

Quinn gratefully took the hand and picked herself up. She dusted herself off before addressing the boy with a glare, "We have to be quiet." They crept out of the yard and onto the sidewalk. Once they made it on the pavement, they started to run.

Down the street and out of sight from the Fabray manor, Quinn slowed her pace and spoke up, "I thought we agreed to meet at the park?"

"We were." Puck answered. "But then Rachel figured it'd be better if we went to your house to wait for you instead, ya'know, in case you had any trouble getting away."

Quinn ducked her head down shyly in thanks at Rachel. "What about you? How did your dads take the news?"

Rachel chuckled. "They were a complete mess! I told them you two would be there to take care of me, but it was still hard to say goodbye…" She trailed off with a frown.

The gang stopped. Quinn looked up to see they had made it to the park. She turned to her friends, "You guys… you guys don't have to do this. I don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you to—"

"No!" Rachel lowered her voice as the blonde looked at her. "You're not _forcing_ us to do anything, Quinn." She grabbed the other girl's hands and gazed into hazel eyes earnestly. "I'm doing this because I want to go on a Pokémon journey with my best friends."

Quinn gave a tentative nod.

Puck spoke up, "People think I'm a screw up 'cause I think school is for suckers, but I got ambition. Besides," he waggled his eyebrows, "just imagine all the ladies that would miss out on a ride on the Puckasaurus if I didn't tag along!"

Rachel went to bop him on the head when a voice from inside the park caught their attention. "Psst! Hey, over here!"

The friends all nodded to each other before making their way towards the voice.

Artie was sitting in his chair next to a tree outside the pokélab with his arms cradling something in his lap. He looked up when the three friends appeared in front of him. "I can get in so much trouble for this!" He whisper-yelled at them.

"Yeah, whatever. Where's the sneaky badass that took an evolutionary stone and evolved his Pokémon?" Puck mocked.

"He's right here, suffering from a night of excessive questioning from a professor that's too naïve to realize you can't evolve a Growlithe without a firestone!"

"That's your own fault, bro."

"I thought you liked working for Professor Schue, Artie?"

The boy sighed. "Don't get me wrong! I love it in the lab; however, sometimes I wonder how Schuester even became qualified as a professor." He rolled his eyes. "I can't tell if the man's brilliant or just an idiot. In order to get these," he nodded at the items in his hands, "I called him up and said some BS about needing to analyze my Porygon's reactions to a generator in the lab. Next thing I know, he's personally dropping his keys off at my house and telling me to record any findings that occur!"

Puck laughed. "Hah, _there's _the sneaky badass we know!" He held out his fist for Artie to bump.

The bespectacled boy sheepishly ducked his head before bumping fists with Puck. He looked back up at the friends and said, "Okay, let's do this." He picked up the three pokéballs from his lap and held them in his hands for the gang to see. "In my hands lie three Starter Pokémon; grass, fire, and water types." He nodded towards each respectively. "So, who wants to go first?"

Rachel piped up, "Quinn can!"

"Yeah, Q, go ahead!"

Quinn took a deep breath before stepping towards the boy. Her hand hovered for a bit before she hesitated. She looked back at her friends to see them smiling encouragingly. She nodded determinedly to herself and grasped one.

"Ah, good choice!" Artie beamed. "Why don't you let it out of its ball and get acquainted with it?"

Quinn gazed at the ball in her hand in wonderment before grinning. "Pokéball, go!"

"_Quil!"_

"He's…" Rachel gasped. "He's so cute!" She took out her pokédex and pointed it towards her friend's new Pokémon.

"**Cyndaquil: The Fire Mouse Pokémon. Cyndaquil is timid and tends to curl itself up in a ball. It will protect itself by flaring up the flames on its back. However, if one has earned Cyndaquil's trust, the flames will not burn them. The fire that spouts from it burn hottest when it is angry. The flaring flames intimidate foes."**

"Oh, that reminds me, Quinn! I also grabbed you a… Quinn?"

The blonde ignored Artie in favor of staring at Cyndaquil in awe. She knelt down and the little fire Pokémon startled and the flames on his back rose. She slowly stuck her hand out and he carefully sniffed it as is passing judgment on her.

"_Cyndaquil!"_ She must have passed the test because the Pokémon jumped joyfully onto her. Quinn giggled as she fell back with the Pokémon in her arms.

Rachel watched the scene with a broad smile on her face. She subtly wiped a tear from her eye before turning back to Artie. "Let's give them a moment, yeah? In the mean time," she picked up the pokéball in his left hand, "I'll have this one!"

Puck grabbed the last one, "looks like this one is mine!"

Quinn and Cyndaquil sat up to watch the duo release their new Pokémon.

"_Chika!"_

"_Dile! Totodile!"_

"Oh, a Chikorita!" Rachel squealed. She pointed her pokédex towards the little green Pokémon as Puck did the same towards his blue one.

"**Chikorita: The Leaf Pokémon. The leaf on its head is known for many uses. In battle, Chikorita waves its leaf around to keep the foe at bay. However, a sweet fragrance also wafts from the leaf, creating a cozy and friendly atmosphere. It can also use it to check the temperature, and even detect warm spots to sunbathe and soak up the sun."**

"**Totodile: The Big Jaw Pokémon. Totodile's jaws are very powerful. While the Pokémon may think it is just playfully nipping, its bite has enough power to cause serious injury. Despite its small stature, Totodile is rough and tough."**

"Bad_ass!_ You're a tough little guy, aren't ya—whoa, hey!" Puck quickly withdrew his hand when Totodile snapped at him after he attempted to pet the Pokémon. "What's the big idea?"

"Um, Puck…" Artie trailed off. The taller boy turned to him with a scowl. Artie scrunched his face up before continuing, "I think he's a she."

The taller boy quirked his head to the side. "Wait, you're a girl?"

"_Totodile!"_ The blue crocodile-like Pokémon crossed her arms and turned her head.

"Oh. Well, that's even more badass!" The Pokémon looked at her new trainer before his enthusiasm caught up with her. She jumped up and down in excitement.

"_Dile! Totodile!" _

"—and you shall be called Mr. Arnstein. Or would you prefer Nicky?" The group turned towards Rachel to see her sitting on the ground with her new Pokémon. Chikorita looked up at her with a hopelessly confused expression.

Artie shook his head at the scene before addressing Quinn. "Quinn." The blonde stood up with Cyndaquil in her arms. "What I tried saying earlier was that I grabbed this for you from the lab!"

Quinn's mouth hung open as Artie held out a brand new pokédex. "Artie…"

"Remember what I said? If I can't go on a journey, I want you three to go on one for me. You won't be able to get the full experience without one of these babies!" The bespectacled boy grinned.

Quinn set Cyndaquil down. "Cyndaquil, return!" And turned back to the boy with a smile as she took hold of the pokédex.

Rachel and Puck called back their Pokémon as well and walked up to the two.

"Oh, wow. That's the newest addition, isn't it?" Rachel inquired.

"Yep!" Artie stated proudly.

"Thank you." Replied Quinn.

"No problem!"

"No, really. Thank you, Artie. You're a great friend." Quinn gazed at him sincerely.

The bespectacled boy blushed. "Yeah, yeah. You're welcome. All of you. Now go on now! Start your Pokémon adventure!"

The three friends thanked him one last time before they turned to walk away from the lab.

"Wait!"

The three friends turned back around and were met with the sight of Mr. and Mr. Berry running towards them.

"Dad? Daddy?" Rachel questioned as her parents caught up with them.

"Wait! You…" Hiram set the bag he was holding on the ground and attempted to catch his breath. "…leave…. Shoes…."

Leroy rubbed a hand on his husband's shoulder and turned to the teens. "We know that you'll have each other, but Hiram and I got you all little going away gifts to help you on your journey."

Rachel's eyes instantly filled with tears. "Dads…" She threw herself into Leroy's arms.

"Oh, I told myself I wouldn't cry again after we said goodbye at home." Hiram choked out before he walked over and draped his arms around his husband and little star.

Artie watched the scene with an amused expression. "Now I see where she gets her dramatics, eh, Puck? …Puck?" He turned to the unusually silent boy. "Are you crying?"

The macho boy furiously rubbed at his eyes. "No. I…I just got something in my eye!"

Quinn shook her head at her friend before grabbing onto his arm and dragging him to the group hug.

Artie smiled at the scene before wheeling himself back into the lab. Those three classmates of his out there? Yeah, he had no doubt that they'd go far on this journey as long as they had each other.

Hiram looked up from his husband's shoulder and was met with Quinn and Puck adding themselves into the mix. He instantly started tearing up again. He watched these two grow up with his little star; they were practically family. He saw how the blonde gripped Rachel's waist. He wiped away a tear and stepped back from the group.

"Okay," he sniffed. "If we delay this anymore, I'm going to drag all three of you back home and lock you away so you can't leave."

Leroy chucked at his husband, but hurried and picked the bag up. Sometimes he couldn't tell when Hiram was joking or not. So he pulled three boxes out of the bag and turned towards the teens.

Rachel gave a watery laugh before she gasped. "Are those…"

Leroy nodded. "Yep. Running Shoes!"

Hiram beamed. "They'll put a zip in your step! We got a pair for all three of you!"

"Leroy, Hiram…" Quinn trailed off with a shake of her head. "We can't accept these—"

"Awesome! Thanks Papa Berrys!" Puck greedily tore into his box. He kicked his old shoes off and put the new ones on. "Okay, do I look badass or do I look _badass?_"

Rachel laughed from her spot on a bench; she was already tying her new laces. She turned to Quinn with a tentative smile.

The blonde sighed before grabbing her box with a chuckle. "Thanks. You didn't have to…"

Hiram shook his head. "Oh, honey, it's the least we can do." He grabbed the discarded boxes to throw away in a nearby trashcan. A piece of paper falling out of one of them caught his attention. "Hey, they come with instructions! **'Press the B button while wearing these RUNNING SHOES to run extra fast! Slip on these RUNNING SHOES and race in the great outdoors!'** Hm, B button? That's peculiar. What do the creators think this is, a video game?"

Leroy waved off his husband's rambling , and turned back to the teens. "You three should get going. But first…" He walked up to Puck. "If anyone, and I mean_ anyone_, lays a hand on either of these girls, you have my permission to kick their asses."

"Dad!" Rachel gasped. She was ignored as he gave Puck a hug. She shook her head in indignation. "Daddy, Dad is advocating violence…" She trailed off when she caught sight of her daddy in a deep conversation with Quinn.

"I know you're going to be gone for just three months, but it's going to seem like a lifetime when Leroy and I have been watching you three grow up every day for the past six years." He choked back a sob. "Lucy Quinn, I'm trusting you to take care of my little star. Don't you dare leave her."

Quinn sucked in a breath. "I made a promise six years ago that I wouldn't. I never intend on breaking that promise ever again."

Hiram wiped a tear from his eye before calling the other three over for one last group hug.

After a final goodbye, the three friends walked the path through the woods that would inevitably start their journey.

Leroy grasped Hiram's hand. "Do you really think they're going to be okay?"

They watched Rachel loop her arms with her two friends as she forced them to skip down the path. The remnants of her voice singing The Yellow Brick Road faded as their figures disappeared in the trees. Hiram smiled. "I think they're going to be just fine."

* * *

**A/N:** It wouldn't be a Pokémon journey without the parents running after them and yelling about Running Shoes, now would it? lol, they were introduced in generation 3 and used in each game ever since.

Please review! :D


	5. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Glee is not mine, and the only Pokémon I own are in my video games. The title of this fic is from the Offspring song of the same name.

* * *

"I can't believe we're actually here..." Quinn trailed off in awe.

After what seemed like hours of traveling, the gang finally made it to their first destination. They hungrily took in their surroundings; this city was much more lively than where they came from. Bright lights flashed on billboards and people ran out and about.

"What should we do first?" Puck asked excitedly.

"First and foremost, we should check in to a Pokémon Center and rest up for the night."

"But—"

"And then after an adequate breakfast, we'll go to the gym."

"But—"

"Come along, now." Quinn and Puck sighed as they followed Rachel into the Pokémon Center.

The gang walked up to the reception desk where a woman and the Pokémon Chansey were situated.

"Excuse me, ma'am..."

The woman turned around and gazed at the teens with her expressive eyes. "Oh! Hello! I'm Nurse Pillsbury! Welcome to the Pokémon Center. We restore your tired Pokémon to full health! Would you like to rest your Pokémon?"

"Actually, Nurse Pillsbury, my friends and I would like a room for the night."

"Yes, yes, of course!" She searched for some papers and a pen. "Just check in right here and Chansey will show you to your room!"

"_Chansey!"_

Quinn took out her pokédex and pointed it towards the pink Pokémon.

"**Chansey: The Egg Pokémon. ****Chansey is an elusive Pokemon that is said to bring happiness to those who manage to capture it. It is gentle and kind-hearted and will share its nutritious eggs if it sees an injured Pokémon."**

"Oh, you're all Pokémon trainers?" Emma inquired.

"Yep!" Rachel answered after she signed the papers and set the pen down on the desk. Emma eyed the pen warily before snatching a tissue to pick it up.

Quinn quirked an eyebrow up.

"I bet you're here to battle the gym leader. Here's a little advice: they specialize in poison type Pokémon."

"Poison type, huh?" Puck wondered. "Hey, has anyone noticed how most poison Pokémon are purple?"

The three girls looked at him.

"…just me then?" Puck rubbed his head.

"That's quite the alliteration. Purple poison Pokémon. Purple poison Pokémon. Purple poison Pokémon…" Rachel repeated.

Quinn smiled sheepishly at the nurse behind the counter.

"A-Anyway, good luck with your battle! Be sure to use potions or antidotes if it gets too rough!" Emma said before picking up a bottle of hand sanitizer and squirting some on her hands. "Chansey will show you to your rooms now! Goodnight!"

* * *

"Are you sure this is the gym?" Quinn inquired.

Rachel looked up from the pamphlet Nurse Pillsbury gave them the next morning. "Yes, I'm positive."

"Am I gonna get mugged?" Puck asked.

Rachel huffed. "It's not that bad…" She trailed off as she stared at the shady looking building. "Oh who am I kidding? Everyone, make sure your wallets and pokéballs are secured!" They opened the door to the gym and were bombarded with a cloud of smoke. Quinn coughed and attempted to air it away with her hands when a voice spoke up.

"Ah, fresh meat." The three friends squinted their eyes as a figure appeared out of the smoke. "Welcome to my gym—"

"Mr. Arnstein, I choose you!" The small green Pokémon shot out of his ball.

"_Chika-ka-ka!"_ Chikorita closed his eyes and coughed.

"Use your leaf to blow this smoke away!" Rachel called out with the collar of her shirt stretched upwards to cover her nose and mouth.

The green Pokémon nodded and whipped the leaf on his head back and forth to create a gust. The smoke dissipated and the friends breathed in a sigh of relief—and much needed oxygen.

"Good job! Return!" Once the Pokémon was back in his ball, Rachel turned to the figure with a glare. "Excuse me, second-hand smoke can—"

"Dude. Not cool." The figure cut Rachel off and stared in disbelief. "You just made my gym's badass level go down by, like, ten."

"Dude?" Rachel shrieked. "First of all, I am not a _dude!_ Second of all, while I appreciated the dramatics in which you went through, I do not appreciate the metaphor in which you were striving to showcase—"

"Metaphor?"

"I think it's like a Metapod or something!" A voice called from behind the gym leader.

Puck and Quinn sighed.

"Smoke can be a form of poison and you're a gym leader that specializes in poison type. Thus, the metaphor." Rachel deadpanned.

"Oh, I just used it 'cause I thought it'd make a badass entrance."

"I think I'm in love." Puck whispered to Quinn.

Rachel's left eye twitched. "And last but not least, it is _rude_ to interrupt someone when they're speaking—"

"You know what?" The figure turned to Puck and Quinn. "I'll just give you my badge if you let me beat her up."

Rachel let out a scandalized gasp.

Quinn rolled her eyes. She put her hand on Rachel's shoulder when she saw she was about to open her mouth to reply. She met Rachel's gaze and shook her head. The shorter girl huffed and crossed her arms.

Quinn stepped forward, "The only beating that will happen is when my Pokémon kick your team's ass."

"Oh, she's feisty. Too bad she stinks of soap." The girl that spoke up before replied.

"Shut up, Ronnie." The gym leader turned back to the three friends. "They call me the Mack because I like to make out with truckers at the rest stop," the girl smirked and shrugged, "it's kind of a double meaning thing."

"So hot…" Puck drooled before Rachel bopped him upside the head.

The tiny diva eyed the taller brunette girl in distaste.

"The name's Quinn." She nodded to her two friends, "Puck and Rachel. Now enough with the pleasantries; let's battle!"

Mack licked her lips. "Oh, so willing. Me likey." She nodded towards the battlefield behind her in the gym. The group followed her to it.

Rachel growled as she sat on the sidelines with Puck. "Kick her ass, Quinn!" Puck gawked at his Jewbro with wide eyes. "_What?"_ She glared.

"N-nothing! Nothing!" He responded when Rachel turned to him with a wild look on her face. He turned his attention to the battle that was about to start.

Another girl walked up to the field with a flag in her hand. "The challenger, Quinn, will face the gym leader, Mack, in a battle for the SkankBadge!"

"Talk about an appropriately named badge." Rachel scoffed to herself at the sidelines. Puck shook his head in amusement.

"Whoever has the last Pokémon standing wins. Ready—"

"Hurry up, Sheila!"

"Shut up, Ronnie! As I was _saying_, ready… Battle!" The girl hurried off the field and slapped her friend in the shoulder.

Mack smirked as she reached for two items; a bandana from her back pocket and a pokéball from her belt loop. Quinn looked on in confusion as Mack, Ronnie, and Sheila all tied bandanas over the bottom halves of their faces. The gym leader laughed at her challenger's puzzled expression before throwing out her pokéball. A giant purple glob appeared.

"_Muk!"_

"What the hell is that?" Quinn coughed as a horrendous smell invaded her senses. She clasped a hand over her nose and mouth while she fumbled with her pokédex.

"**Muk: The Sludge Pokémon****. Muk is** **thickly covered with a filthy, vile sludge. It is so toxic, even its footprints contain poison. ****From Muk's body seeps a foul fluid that gives off a nose-bendingly horrible stench that may even cause fainting."**

"Shit." She muttered. She glanced to the sidelines to see Puck lifting his shirt up to cover his nose and mouth while Rachel pulled out two handkerchiefs from her backpack. The diva covered herself with one and then ran to the field to give the other to Quinn.

"Hey, no outside help!"

Rachel glared at Mack. "Be happy I don't report this health hazard you call a gym! My dads are gay and unless you want the force of the American Civil Liberties Union coming down on you…"

Quinn tied the handkerchief around the bottom half of her face. She breathed in the clean scent with a smile before she remembered where she was. She interrupted Rachel's ramble and guided her back to the sidelines. "Thank you," she mumbled with a duck of her head.

"Come on! I ain't getting any younger!"

Quinn rolled her eyes and trudged back to the field. She eyed Muk warily before throwing out her own pokéball.

"_Cyndaquil! Quil-quil!"_ The little fire mouse Pokémon shook his head in disgust at the smell wafting in the air.

"Muk, use Toxic!" The gym leader commanded. The purple glob shot out various forms of toxins at Cyndaquil.

"Cyndaquil, dodge it!"

"_Quil!"_ Cyndaquil ran to the left as the poison narrowly missed him.

"Cyndaquil, use Ember!" The fire Pokémon stopped running and turned to face his opponent. The flames on his back blazed as he blew out fire from his mouth.

"_Muuuk!"_ The poison type Pokémon cried out as its sludgy arm caught fire. It hit its arm against the ground until the flame went out.

"Muk, use Gunk Shot!"

"Use Defense Curl, Cyndaquil!" Cyndaquil rolled himself into a ball and dodged Muk's attack. "Great! Now use Swift!"

"_Cynda!"_ Cyndaquil stood up on his hind legs while his hands started to glow. Stars appeared in his grasp and he threw them at Muk; the poison Pokémon fell over at the impact.

"No, Muk! Use Acid Armor!"

"Flamethrower!"

Before Muk could defend itself, Cyndaquil shot out a mighty flame that engulfed the opponent.

Both sides waited with bated breath for the flame to die down.

Sheila waved a flag in the air. "Muk is unable to battle!"

"Yes!" Rachel jumped up in excitement. "Suck it, bitch!"

Puck's mouth dropped open… whether in shock or a sense of pride, he didn't know.

Mack grimaced. "The battle's not over yet! Go, Crobat!"

* * *

"Awe, is this your boyfriend, Davey?"

Dave Karofsky scowled. "What do you want, Sebastian?"

"Oh, don't be mean." Sebastian Smythe held his hands up in surrender. "I was just wondering who this dashing young man is that you're talking to. I mean, he must be important if you're neglecting your duties to make time for a little chat."

The young man in question blushed. "My name's Chandler."

Sebastian smirked. "I bet it is. I'm—"

"A douchebag."

Sebastian frowned. "Ah, Bitchpez. How nice of you to join us!"

"Cut the crap, Smythe, and get back to work!" Santana Lopez sneered as she walked up to the group.

"Oh, come on, Sanny…" The tall boy smirked.

Santana narrowed her eyes. "Listen here, twink, "she grabbed him by the collar and lowered her voice, "I gots some top notch surveillance equipment taped to my underboob here, so unless you want the boss lady to find out you're slacking, I suggest you get back to your post. Got it?"

Sebastian pulled himself out of her grasped and adjusted his uniform. "Why don't you tell that to your second-in-command over there who's too busy eye-fucking the grunts." He scowled at them before walking away.

Santana glared at his retreating form before turning back to the two men. "Chad."

"It's Ch-Ch-Chandler." The blonde haired boy replied nervously.

"Don't ca-ca-care." She mocked. "Listen here, grunt—"

"Grunt?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, grunt. It's what we here call the useless recruits. The lowest of the low. The bottom of the food chain." She pointed a finger in his face. "You." He stared at the finger fearfully. "And I am your superior. And as your superior, I say…" She waited until his gaze met hers. "Get the fuck back behind the counter and back to work!"

He flinched before scuttling back to where he originally was.

Santana turned back to the last young man. "Are you trying to make my life difficult?"

Dave smirked. "Well, you heard what Sebastian said; I _am_ your second-in-command. It comes with the job I guess. Speaking of which," he nodded to her chest, "do you really have a tape recorder strapped to your…underboob?"

Santana barked out a laugh. "Hell no. I just said it to get weasel-face outta your hair because it looked like he was bothering you. Although," she rolled her eyes, "there shouldn't have been anything to bother in the first place if you didn't try to seduce the grunts."

Dave's eyes widened. "I wasn't—No, I wasn't trying to…"

Santana waved him off, "Yeah, yeah, Whatever. I don't blame you though. This place has been dead all day." She yawned and stretched her arms above her head. "I am fucking _bored._"

Dave looked around the building with a sigh and shrugged. "Hey, who knows, maybe something interesting will happen today."

"Doubt it."

* * *

"Cyndaquil, use Swift!"

"You too, Crobat!"

The two Pokémon attacked at once and collided head on. A puff of smoke surrounded the battlefield.

Sheila ran to the middle of the field and held up both flags. "Cyndaquil and Crobat have fainted! They are both unable to battle!"

"Oh, no!" Rachel watched with wide eyes as Quinn returned the little fire mouse to his pokéball.

"You did good, Cyndaquil. I'm so proud of you." Quinn spoke to her pokéball before putting it away. She reached for her last one. She took a deep breath before throwing it to the field.

"_Umbreon!"_

"Crobat, return!" Mack glared at Quinn. "It's not over yet. Pokéball, go!"

"_Weezing!"_

"Holy crap. It's a Weezing!" Puck took out his pokédex.

"**Weezing: The Poison Gas Pokémon. Weezing lives and grows by absorbing dust, germs, and poison gases that are contained in toxic waste and garbage. Its fumes are extremely hazardous if directly inhaled."**

Rachel gasped and called out, "Quinn! Make sure Umbreon doesn't inhale its fumes!"

"Weezing, use Sludge Bomb!"

"Umbreon, use Double Team!"

"_Bre!"_ The moonlight Pokémon created multiple illusionary copies of herself.

Weezing looked on in confusion before shooting sludge out into the air. Multiple drops of the poison fell from the sky and onto the fake copies of Umbreon. The illusions dissipated until only the real one was left.

"Use Quick Attack, Umbreon!"

Umbreon nodded and ran at full speed towards her opponent.

Mack frowned. "If I lose, we all lose! Time for the last resort, Weezing! Use Selfdestruct!"

Umbreon stopped in her tracks as Weezing started to glow a blinding white light.

Quinn's eyes widened. "Umbreon, use Protect!" She yelled out right before the poison type Pokémon exploded. She stumbled backwards from the impact of the attack.

"Umbreon!" Rachel cried out. She tore off the handkerchief from her face and ran to Quinn, Puck following shortly after. Quinn took hers off as well and held in a breath as the smoke started to clear.

"_Bre!"_ Weezing was knocked out on the ground as Umbreon stood feet away with a force field surrounding her body.

Mack's jaw dropped open.

"Holy shit." Sheila muttered from the sidelines. She walked up to the field and held up a flag. "Weezing is unable to battle. Umbreon wins! Quinn is the victor!"

"We…We won?" Quinn laughed in disbelief before realization hit her. "We won!" She turned towards Rachel and grabbed her arms in excitement. "We won!"

"_Umbreon…"_

Quinn turned around to see her Pokémon's barrier disappearing before she collapsed to the ground. "Oh, no! Umbreon!" She ran and knelt before her. "You were amazing out there, Umbreon." She stroked her fur before taking out her pokéball. "Get some rest. You deserve it."

Mack walked up to Quinn. "I gotta admit, blondie, that was one of the toughest battles I've ever had."

Quinn stood back up and crossed her arms. "I told you we'd kick your ass."

The gym leader's eyebrows rose up before she laughed. "Here," she held out her hand to Quinn, "I present you with… da da da! The SkankBadge!"

Quinn grasped the badge with a proud grin.

"Lemme see!" Puck grabbed it out of her hand.

"You were really good out there, blondie. We should hang outside of battle sometime."

Rachel's eyes widened. "Oh, no, you most certainly should not!"

Mack shook her head. "Shut it, grandma. You need to learn to live a little." She smirked. "As a matter of fact… There's this little place I know in town. Y'all should give it a little visit. I'm definitely gonna go there to chill after I heal my Pokémon."

"What is it?" Puck asked after he handed Quinn her badge back.

The blonde put it away and gave the gym leader an expectant look.

"It's this… game corner of sorts." The gym leader nodded to her friends and they started to retreat to a door in the back of the gym. "It's just north of the pokémart. Tell them the Mack sent ya!" She winked at the trio before walking through the door.

"That woman is insufferable! As if we would associate with her outside of batt—Quinn? Puck? Oh, no! Please tell me you aren't actually thinking about taking her up on her offer."

Puck shrugged. "I don't know, Rach, it sounds fun."

"It sounds suspicious!"

"Awe, come on, Rach! Besides, Quinn just won her first badge! I say we go to that place she was talking about to celebrate!"

"But—she…you…But—Quinn!" Rachel whined.

"Yeah, I think it'll be fun." Quinn shrugged. "But first, I want to… no, _need_ to get out of here and into a shower. I don't care if Muk isn't anywhere in sight; I feel as if my skin reeks of it." She shuddered.

Rachel sighed in defeat and nodded. "Fine, let's go back to the Pokémon Center."

* * *

"Is this the place?" Puck asked in excitement.

"She said just north of the pokémart." Quinn replied as she stared up at the giant building.

"This…this… this is a casino!" Rachel cried out and pointed.

Puck smirked. "_Yeah_ it is!"

"We can't go in there! We're underage!"

"Mack was right, Rach, you do need to live a little."

"I live perfectly fine, _Noah!_ Quinn, what are you doing? No, Quinn!"

Quinn ignored her and walked up to the bouncer. "Hello," she read his name-tag, "Smythe."

Sebastian quirked an eyebrow at the blonde and her bickering friends. "May I help you?"

Quinn shushed Rachel and Puck before addressing the well-kept boy. "Yes, the Mack sent us."

"Ah, yes." Sebastian appraised the trio with a smirk. "Right this way." He opened the door and led them inside.

Rachel grabbed onto Quinn's arm with a frown. "I don't think this is a good idea."

Quinn slid her hand into Rachel's. "Relax. Take a breather. Have fun."

The brunette gazed into hazel eyes before sighing. "Okay."

"Oh, miss," the blonde looked back towards the bouncer. "You'll need these." He gave the trio three cases. "They're for holding the coins. If you win anything, go right up to the counter to the guy with the glasses," he pointed to Chandler, "and exchange them for fabulous prizes."

Puck smirked and fist pumped. "You mean _when _we win!"

"Yes, sure, of course." Sebastian drawled before walking back to his post. "Enjoy!" He called over his shoulder.

The three friends looked on in awe at their surroundings.

"Slots!" Puck yelled and ran towards the machines.

Quinn giggled and ran after him while Rachel trudged along.

* * *

"Damn! So close!" Puck hit the side of the slot machine. He leaned over to Quinn, "How are you doing, Q?"

The blonde groaned in frustration as she watched her screen. The slot landed on two pokéballs and a seven. "I feel as if this is rigged." She pulled the slot lever again.

Puck watched the images as they slowed down. "Ugh, a pokéball, a seven, and…what is that? A Celebi? Dang, Q, you weren't even close."

"I'm telling you, it's rigged—"

"Yes! Give me those triple sevens, baby!"

Puck and Quinn turned to their right to see Rachel's slot machine pouring out coins.

"You gotta be shitting me." Puck mumbled in disbelief. He and Quinn abandoned their machines and walked to the brunette. Their eyes widened when they caught sight of all the coins in her case.

Rachel pulled the lever again. "Oh! One Celebi…" She watched as the second image slowed down. "Yes! Another Celebi…" She waited with bated breath before the last image appeared. "Oh yeah! Triple Celebi! Who's your daddy?"

Quinn and Puck gawked as Rachel laughed maniacally.

"Um, Rachel." Quinn put her hand on her friend's shoulder. Rachel whipped her head around.

"Dear Ho-Oh, she's gone crazy." Puck muttered.

Quinn glared at Puck before addressing the diva. "Rachel, don't you think you've had enough?"

"What? No!"

"Rach, you didn't even want to come here—"

"That was before I was introduced to the wonders of the slots!"

Quinn grabbed onto her before she could pull the lever again. "Let's… let's just go up to the counter and exchange your coins."

Rachel perked up. "Yes! Prizes!" She quickly closed her coin case and bolted to the counter.

"Poor man…" Puck trailed off as he and Quinn watched Rachel pester the young blonde man behind the counter. They walked up just in time to hear the tail-end of their conversation.

"I don't care for any of those! I want your ultimate prize!"

"But, miss, that isn't—"

"I said your ultimate prize!"

Chandler flinched. He really wished women would stop yelling at him today. "Okay, okay." He went to the backroom.

"Rachel, don't you think you're being a little…oh, I don't know, neurotic?" Puck deadpanned.

Rachel flipped her hair over her shoulder. She was about to respond but the worker returned with a large fish tank in his grasp.

"This," he hauled the tank onto the counter, "is our ultimate prize." He panted as he finally set the heavy item down.

Rachel gasped. Swimming around the tank was a tiny, timid blue and white Pokémon.

Puck pointed his pokédex at it.

"**Dratini: The Dragon Pokémon. Long considered a mythical Pokémon until recently when a small colony was found living underwater. Dratini continually molts and sloughs off its old skin. It does so because the life energy within its body steadily builds to reach uncontrollable levels."**

"Life energy?" Puck repeated. "It looks dead." Quinn hit Puck in the arm. "What? I'm just sayin'…"

Rachel stared at the Dratini intently before looking back towards Chandler. She put her coin case on the counter. "Count all of the coins and tell me if I have enough."

The young man sighed and did as he was told. "You're 1,000 short."

Puck rubbed his mohawk. "What about that hat over there, Rach? It's pretty cool. Why don't you just get that as your prize instead?"

Rachel glared at Puck before turning back to the worker. "Keep this Pokémon out. I will be back shortly with the coins."

"But, miss, that's impossible—"

Rachel stormed off to a slot machine. Quinn shrugged at the man before following after her. Puck gazed longingly at the hat one last time and then went after them.

Chandler sighed. "I don't get paid enough for this."

* * *

Quinn stopped Rachel before she could sit down. "Are you sure about this?"

Rachel exhaled and closed her eyes. "Quinn, that Pokémon looked so miserable." She opened her eyes up and gazed at the blonde determinedly. "I don't care if I blow all my money. I _will _help that Dratini."

Quinn stared into expressive brown orbs before nodding. "I don't think I'll be of much help, but I'll try."

Rachel beamed. "Here," she gestured for Quinn to sit down. Once situated, Rachel grasped Quinn's hand and guided it towards the lever and they both pulled it down. "Triple Celebi." Rachel grinned as she read the screen and tightened her hold on Quinn's hand.

"Hey, look who's here!" Puck pointed to the door.

Mack looked up from her spot at the entrance and smirked.

Rachel groaned and dropped her hand from Quinn's.

The gym leader sauntered up to the group. "Hey, so how's it goin—holy shit!" She exclaimed when she saw the amount of coins the gang had. "How'd you even…"

Puck laughed. "Rachel has some sort of gift! Speaking of gift, we're trying to win that Dratini!"

Mack gasped.

"Yep!" Puck nodded. "I think we almost have enough coins for it!"

"But…but…That's impossible. No one should be able to get enough coins for Dratini…" She muttered.

"What was that?" Quinn asked after Rachel once again won more coins.

Mack stared in astonishment.

"Oh, success! I believe we have enough!"

Mack watched in disbelief as the gang walked back up towards the counter.

"Chandler, my good man!" Rachel handed her coin case to him.

He hesitantly calculated the coins and his eyes widened at the result. "No way…"

"We'll have that Dratini, please."

"But…"

Quinn narrowed her eyes. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes, is there?"

The group turned around as a young gorgeous Latina woman that appeared to be about their age walked over.

"Sa-Santana!"

"Excuse me, miss, are you the manager?" Rachel inquired.

"You could say that." Said Santana.

"Well, this gentleman right here seems to be refusing me my prize."

"And what exactly would that prize be?"

Rachel pointed to where the tank was on the ground next to the counter.

Santana's eyebrows rose. "That's impossible!"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Puck scratched his head.

Santana ignored him. "You can't possibly have enough for…" She shoved Chandler out of the way and recalculated the coins. She let out a laugh of disbelief. "Well, I'll be damned."

Rachel beamed proudly. "My prize, please."

Santana shook herself out of her stupor. "Listen, hobbit," Rachel's mouth dropped open in shock, "I don't know how you managed to get all those coins, but—"

"But nothing!" Quinn interrupted. "She won those coins fair and square!"

"No way! That's impossible!"

"What do you mean impossible?"

"I mean that it's impossible because there's no way anyone in this damn building can win that many coins! We've made sure of it!" Santana's eyes widened when she realized what she said.

The group gawked before Puck spoke up, "Shit, Q, you were right; this place is rigged."

Quinn slammed her hands down on the counter. "Listen here, J-Lo…"

Santana slammed her hands on the counter as well and leaned into Quinn's face. "J-Lo, huh? You _really_ wanna go there, Barbie? Let me tell you something," Santana's eyes traveled to Quinn's hair before leveling her with a glare, "you bottle-blonde…"

Quinn gasped. "_Bottle?"_

"…I am from Lima Heights Adjacent. Do you know what happens in Lima Heights Adjacent? Bad things—"

"Freeze! Police!"

Santana's eyes widened. "Shit. Gotta go!" She shoved Quinn out of the way and grabbed onto a young brunette man that was watching the argument from the sidelines.

"S, what about the—"

"No time, D! No time! Go, Arbok!"

"_Bok!"_

"Return the Pokémon to its ball and put your hands in the air!" Officer Carl Howell yelled into a bullhorn.

"You'll never take us alive, coppers! Arbok, use Screech!"

The cobra Pokémon let out an earsplitting screech that had everyone within hearing distance covering their ears. The noise was so high pitched that it caused the windows in the building to shatter. Santana hurriedly called back her Pokémon and she and the young man jumped out a nearby broken window.

Quinn rubbed her ears. "Is everyone okay?" She yelled.

"What? My ears are ringing! But other than that, I'm okay!" Puck yelled back.

"Quinn!" Rachel grasped onto her sleeve and pointed to the now shattered fish tank. The Pokémon was pitifully flopping on the ground in broken glass.

"Sebastian, help!" Chandler yelped as two police officers surrounded him.

"Grunts. Always so useless." Sebastian muttered before throwing out a pokéball. "Sandslash! I choose you! Use Earthquake!"

"Shit!" Quinn yelled as the ground started to shake. "Rachel! Puck! Go out that window!"

"But Quinn!"

"Go!"

"No—"

"Now's not the time, Berry! Let's go!" Puck picked Rachel up over his shoulder. "Q, you better fucking hurry!"

"No! _Quinn!_" Rachel cried out and hit her fists against Puck's back.

Quinn stumbled on her feet as Puck jumped out the window. She idly thanked Ho-Oh that they were on the first floor.

"_Tini…"_

Rubble fell from the ceiling. Quinn dropped to the ground and crawled towards the little dragon Pokémon.

"It's okay. It's okay." She whispered. A nearby slot machine short circuited; the explosion made debris fly towards Quinn. She flinched before scooping up the Pokémon. "I got you."

"Retreat! Retreat!" Officer Carl yelled as he and his team attempted to dodge the rubble.

"Come on! Let's go, grunt!" Sebastian called out to Chandler as he and Mack were climbing out the busted window.

Chandler faltered in his steps. "What about her?"

Mack's eyebrows rose up. "Shit. I'll get her!"

"What? She's just a civilian! She doesn't matter!" Sebastian yelled as Chandler finally made it towards them. "Ah, what the fuck—"

Mack shoved Sebastian out the window when a ceiling tile dropped from above. She turned towards Chandler. "Go! I got her! Go!"

The blonde boy nodded and followed his superiors out the broken first story window.

More of the ceiling started to collapse. Mack's eyes widened when she saw it falling straight towards the girl. "Fuck!" She threw out her pokéball. "Go, Crobat! Wing Attack!"

The purple bat Pokémon blew a mighty gust towards the falling debris right before they could fall on Quinn and Dratini. Mack jumped over a fallen slot machine and skidded towards the pair. "Come on! Get up! Let's Go!"

Quinn opened her eyes at the girl in front of her and nodded determinedly. She picked up Dratini and ran with the Mack out the window.

Sirens blared in the distance as they landed on the ground.

"Quinn!" Rachel cried out when she saw her friend with the battered Pokémon in her arms.

"_Crobat!"_

The bat Pokémon alerted the gym leader of the police officers at the front of the ruined building. "Shit," she muttered. She turned towards the friends to see Rachel clutching onto Quinn's arm as she fretted over her. Puck looked on with an anxious expression. "I'd hate to interrupt this little love-fest, but…" The sirens got closer. "…Get that little guy to the Pokémon Center this instant, then get the hell out of here!"

"But—"

"No, you don't understand. More police officers are on their way."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Rachel desperately asked.

"No. This casino was run by Team Sylvester." The friends' eyes widened. "It doesn't matter if you're a good guy or not, you were in there and the police will capture anyone as long as it will get them a lead on Team Sylvester."

"But—"

"No buts! Your faces weren't seen by Officer Carl or anyone so you'll be fine as long as you escape the scene of the crime!" She called back Crobat and started to run. She looked back over her shoulder. "Right now! Go!"

Puck grabbed Rachel and Quinn's arms and ran them to the Pokémon Center.

* * *

"Oh, my! What happened here?" Nurse Pillsbury asked when the three friends ran in the Pokémon Center.

"I…We…"

Puck took a deep breath and stepped forward. "We were training when we saw this little guy," he nodded to the Dratini in Quinn's arms, "um, hurt by the lake."

"But there's no lake—"

"Can you heal him?" Puck interrupted the nurse. He nervously rubbed his mohawk. "Please."

Nurse Pillsbury studied them for a second before nodding. "Yes, of course. Chansey!" The pink Pokémon took the Dratini to the back. Emma turned towards the teens and said, "If you'll just sit in the waiting area…" She gestured to the seats. "It shouldn't be too long."

"Thank you." Said Puck.

The three sat on the seats and sighed. It was silent for a few minutes before Rachel spoke up.

"…Quinn?"

"Yeah, Rach?"

"Are you okay?"

Quinn didn't answer right away. She thought about how she may have a few scratches, but her Pokémon and friends were no longer in danger, so, "Yeah, Rach."

"Good." She shifted closer to Quinn and rested her head on the blonde's shoulder. "…Quinn?"

"Yeah, Rach?"

"I think you should be Dratini's trainer."

Quinn sat up and turned towards Rachel. "Wait, what? But you're the one who wanted him."

"And you're the one that risked your life for him."

"I didn't risk my life… I mean, the Mack was there…"

It was quiet for a while before Rachel spoke up again. "I take back what I said earlier about her being insufferable."

Puck let out an exhausted laugh.

"…Quinn?"

"Yeah, Rach?"

"You're Dratini's trainer."

Quinn sighed as the brunette's head once again rested on her shoulder. "Yeah, Rach."

Rachel smiled.

"_Chansey!"_

The gang looked up to see the pink egg Pokémon holding a pokéball.

"Is that Dratini?" Puck asked.

Quinn grabbed the ball when Chansey nodded.

The door to the Pokémon Center burst open.

"Oh, Officer Carl! Hello!"

The older man in uniform strutted up to the desk with a a frown. "Can you heal my Pokémon?"

"Yes, of course! But whatever happened?" She asked as she took the pokéballs.

"You'll never believe what happened at the game corner…"

"And that's our cue…" Puck muttered. The trio said their thanks to Chansey and hauled ass out the Pokémon Center.

It was quiet as the gang walked out of the city and into another patch of forest.

"…Quinn?"

"Yeah, Rach?"

"Are we outlaws now?"

Puck burst out laughing.

* * *

**A/N:** I didn't put this at the beginning of the chapter because I didn't want to spoil the whole the Skanks being the first gym thing: The only characters I'm using from the games/anime are just the Pokémon. I hope no one's disappointed that they won't be seeing their favorite gym leader from the game or something, but I figured it'd be a nice twist to use all of the Glee characters in some way. Lord knows the show has more than they know what to do with… so I decided I'll give them a role! Haha. Some will be gym leaders (as you just saw), some will be random trainers the gang encounter, others may turn up when you least expect it, etc.

Please review!


	6. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Glee is not mine, and the only Pokémon I own are in my video games. The title of this fic is from the Offspring song of the same name. Also, the line Rachel sings in this chapter is from Americano by Lady Gaga.

**A/N:** Someone asked if I already had the lineups chosen for the characters, or if I'm open to suggestions. Both, actually. haha. I know what Pokémon I'm going to give everyone and when they're going to appear, but I'm definitely open to things! So, please, if you have any ideas or suggestions or if you even just want to tell me if you like the story so far…Review! :D It's very much appreciated.

Or, if you want, you can also tell me on my tumblr:

chelsko. tumblr. com

Thanks as always for the feedback! Without further ado… Chapter 4!

* * *

Puck dropped to the ground with a groan. "Ugh, can't we rest for five minutes?"

"No! We have to be sure the fuzz isn't on our tail!" Rachel exclaimed as she scanned over the map in her hands.

"Rachel."

"Yes, Quinn?"

"For the tenth time… The police are not after us. They were there because that was an illegal casino run by Team Sylvester."

"But…But…Quinn! We used their slot machines! We practically _stole_ Dratini! Though, technically, Dratini was probably stolen to begin with." She trailed off with a gasp. "We stole a stolen Pokémon! We might as well be their accomplices!" She rested her hands on the blonde's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "We're outlaws."

Quinn removed Rachel's hands and collapsed on the ground next to Puck. "We got away mostly unharmed without the police ever even knowing we were there. Besides, Dratini's better off with us anyway."

"But…" Quinn leveled her with a look. The brunette rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Fine. We can rest for five minutes!"

Quinn sighed in relief and took in her surroundings with a fond smile. The park back home had quite a few variety of Pokémon, but beyond the trees held a whole new world.

Something blue on a nearby branch caught her attention. "Hey, what's that?"

Rachel gasped. "Is it the police?"

Puck jumped up from his spot in excitement. "No, it's not! It's a Heracross!"

Quinn took out her pokédex.

**"Heracross: The Single Horn Pokémon. Though gentle and docile, Heracross possess great strength and power. They love to eat the fresh sap of leafy trees."**

Quinn grimaced. "Ugh, a bug Pokémon."

Puck whipped his head around. "Not _just_ a bug Pokémon, Q! It's a bug _and_ fighting type!" Puck dug through his backpack for a pokéball. "I'm gonna catch it! I can see it now; people are gonna think the Puckasaurus has this lil bug Pokémon, but then POW! BAM!" He punched and kicked the air. "It'll use Focus Punch and knock 'em out when they least expect it! Pokéball, go!—"

"Stop right there!"

Puck dropped the pokéball in fright while Rachel and Quinn turned to the source of the noise.

A girl around their age with blue streaks in her hair stood with her hands on her hips. "Tha-that's my Pokémon!"

Heracross perked its head up at the familiar voice.

"Aw, my bad! I didn't know it had a trainer; I thought it was wild." Puck sheepishly rubbed his hand over his mohawk.

"_Hera!"_ The Heracross jumped from the branch and flew over to its trainer.

The girl patted its head before turning back to the trio. "It's okay. I'm partially to b-b-blame." At their confused looks, she continued, "I was just coming back from an errand for Mike when I sat down to rest for a few minutes, and next thing I know, Heracross is nowhere to be f-f-found!" She turned back to her Pokémon. "We really need to do something about your sap addiction; you just can't run off every time we pass a tree." She gently chided.

"Still, sorry about the mistake." Puck walked up to her and waggled his eyebrows. "The name's Noah Puckerman, but the ladies call me the Puckasaurus—ouch!"

"The ladies call him no such thing." Rachel huffed after bopping him on the head. "We call him Puck." She held out her hand and smiled brightly. "I'm Rachel, and that over there is Quinn!"

The girl hesitantly shook hands with the energetic brunette. "My n-name's Tina."

"So, Tina, you said you were coming back from an errand for someone named Mike? You aren't, perchance, on your way to this town, are you?" Rachel shoved the map in Tina's face.

Tina lowered the paper and studied it before smiling. "Yes! That's exactly where I'm headed."

"Oh, thank Barbra! You wouldn't mind us tagging along, would you?"

"Oh, no, of course not." The gang picked up their belongings and followed the girl.

It was quiet for a while until Rachel burst out in song. _"Don't you try to catch me. Don't you try to catch me. No, no, no, no! I'm living on the edge of, living on the edge of the law, law, law, law…"_

"Rachel!" Puck shushed her before walking next to Tina. "So…" Puck drawled. "Who's Mike? Is he your boyfriend—ouch! Damn, Berry, will you stop it?"

"Don't ask such personal questions then!"

Quinn rolled her eyes at the scene. One would think Puck would've learned by now…

"N-n-no! He's not my b-b-boyfriend." Tina's face turned bright red as she walked a little ahead of the group.

Quinn caught up with her. "Who is he then?" She glanced back at the two friends bickering. "If you don't mind me asking."

Tina sighed dreamily and got a faraway look in her eyes. "He's only one of the best gym leaders in this region. He's so kind to his Pokémon team. And charming. And handsome. And he's so quick and lithe on his feet! You should see him dance! Oh, and those abs…" Rachel and Puck stopped arguing to gawk at Tina. She noticed their stares and spluttered. "I-I-I mean…"

"Wait, gym leader?" Tina gladly turned her attention to Quinn and nodded. "Mike… as in… Mike Chang? The gym leader that specializes in fighting type Pokémon?"

"That's why I had to run an errand for him; there's been an influx of trainers since summer started, and he needed more items for battling."

Rachel noticed her new acquaintance's stutter decreased the more comfortable she felt around them. Or, she smiled, the more she talked about Mike.

Quinn smirked. "He's going to need those items when he battles me!"

"Oh, you three are on your Pokémon journey?"

Puck nodded. "But I'm not trying to become Champion or anything; I'm leaving that up to Q-Ball over there." He nudged his head towards the blonde. "I just wanna travel with my friends and be able to say I did something worthwhile this summer. Prove to those suckers that Noah Puckerman has what it takes to go places!"

"I have no doubt you three will go places, but do you truly think your friend has what it takes to make it all the way?"

"Absolutely!" Rachel exclaimed as if anyone doubting Quinn's abilities was a heinous crime against humanity.

Quinn blushed at Rachel's enthusiasm and then nodded. "Yep. I already won the SkankBadge! Next on my list is Mike Chang!"

Tina chuckled wryly. "I see. You're pretty cocky, Quinn. But it's going to take more than that to beat Mike." She stopped walking and gestured to the building in front of them.

"Oh, wow. I didn't even notice we made it to the town." Puck quipped as Tina pushed open the doors of the gym.

"Tangela, use Vine Whip!"

"_Tangela!"_

"Oh, good. You'll get to see Mike's power firsthand." Tina said as she led the trio off towards the sidelines as to not disrupt the battle.

"What is that?" Puck took out his pokédex as a blue Pokémon shot one of its many vines out towards its opponent.

**"Tangela: The Vine Pokémon. Tangela's identity is obscured by masses of thick, blue vines. During battle, it constantly moves the vines that cover its body in order to annoy its opponent."**

"Hitmontop, use Triple Kick."

"_Hitmontop!"_ A brown Pokémon spinning on his head dodged the vines easily and swung his legs at Tangela.

"Holy crap." Puck muttered. He pointed his pokédex towards him.

**"Hitmontop: The Handstand Pokémon. Hitmontop spins on its head at high speeds, all the while delivering elegant and dance-like kicks. This technique is a remarkable mix of both offense and defense at the same time. The Pokémon travels faster spinning than it does walking."**

"No, Tangela!" A teen with dreadlocks cried out as the fighting type Pokémon continued to advance onto his. "Use Constrict!"

"Close Combat." The trio whipped their heads around to the voice and saw the gym leader standing there with crossed arms and a calm expression.

"_Top!"_ Hitmontop swiftly maneuvered around the vines shooting out at him and spun towards Tangela. _"Hitmontop!"_

They turned their attention back to the battle as Hitmontop spun within centimeters of the blue vine Pokémon before wildly kicking his legs around.

"_Tangela…"_

"Tangela, get up!" The challenger yelled out, but it was no sue.

"Tangela is unable to battle." Tina stated as she walked into the field. Mike's eyes lit up when he saw her. "Hitmontop wins."

"I can't believe this." The challenger muttered. He looked up when Mike walked towards him with his hand out.

"That was a good battle, Joe—"

"Tangela, return!" Joe called his Pokémon back and turned towards the gym leader with a grief stricken expression. "How did I lose? We trained for this. We were ready!"

Mike lowered his hand with a sigh. "You went into this all wrong." He continued when the boy looked at him in confusion. "It's more than okay to believe in your Pokémon's abilities; however, there's a fine line between confidence and arrogance."

Joe went to respond before he noticed the bystanders out of the corner of his eye. He turned and sputtered when he noticed a pretty blonde girl studying their conversation with furrowed brows. His attention was drawn back to the gym leader when he started speaking again.

"—when you have the right attitude, okay?"

Joe's eyes widened when he realized he was asked a question. He glanced back at the blonde before quickly nodding to the gym leader and running out of the building with his hands in the front of his pants.

Mike quirked an eyebrow. "Well, that was weird…" He turned back to Tina with a smile. "Do you have the items?" She nodded and reached into her bag to give them to him. He beamed at her before walking to his Hitmontop.

"_Hitmontop!"_

He knelt down beside the fighting type Pokémon and sprayed a Potion on him. "You were fantastic, Hitmontop," Mike praised as the item quickly healed his Pokémon. He patted him on the head before returning him back to his pokéball.

"Mike." Tina nodded her head towards the three teens standing off to the side.

"Oh, hey!" He greeted as he walked to them. "My name's Mike Chang; I'm the gym leader. Are you here for a battle? I just healed Hitmontop so I can call him back out if you are."

"Hello, Mike. My name's Rachel. These two are Quinn and Puck." Rachel spoke up before the others could. "Quinn's the one that will be battling you, but not right now."

Puck made a noise of protest as Quinn continued to stay quiet.

Mike nodded. "Ah, checking out the competition beforehand, huh?" He teased.

Rachel nudged Quinn and the blonde forced out a laugh. Rachel sighed and turned back to the gym leader. "That was a wonderful battle, Mike."

"Thanks!" He took Tina's bag from her and put it over his shoulder. "I don't mean to part so abruptly, but if you're not here to battle yet, we're going to put these away in the back."

Rachel grabbed onto Quinn's arm and motioned for Puck to follow them out the door. "Okay, Mike. We'll see you tomorrow!"

"I look forward to it!" He called out as the gang exited the building.

"Rach, what the hell?" Puck asked once they were outside. "Quinn was so set to kick his ass!"

"No." Quinn muttered. "It was a good thing she postponed the battle." She looked up at her friends. "I don't think I can beat him…"

"What? No! Listen, you're ready for this. You said—"

"That was before I saw how strong his fighting types were!" Quinn burst out.

Rachel nodded sagely. "Umbreon's good, but she's a dark type." Puck quirked his head to the side. "Dark type Pokémon have an extreme disadvantage to fighting types."

Quinn averted her gaze and ducked her head.

"So you're saying she should just give up before she even tries?" Puck belted out.

"No." Rachel stated. "She—no, _we_ are going to regroup."

"What do you mean?" Puck asked.

Rachel smirked. "Follow me."

* * *

"When you said we should regroup, I didn't think you actually meant add more Pokémon to the group." Puck quipped once Rachel led them back into the forest near the city.

"Rachel's got a point, Puck." Quinn said as she recalled the brunette's advice while they were walking into the forest.

"_Strength in numbers. I know your Pokémon are powerful; there's no doubt about that. But in order to continue on this journey successfully, you're going to have to add more types to your team."_

Quinn shook her head. "It was stupid of me to think I could walk into a battle with a type disadvantage like that."

"Hey," Rachel put her hands on the blonde's shoulders, "it wasn't stupid. You were still high on the excitement from winning your first badge and it clouded your thoughts. I have no doubt it happens to all trainers at one point."

Quinn sighed but nodded nonetheless.

"What about that?" Puck interrupted with a snicker. The two girls turned to see him pointing at a flower looking Pokémon.

"_Sprout?"_ It turned its head to the side as it looked at the friends.

"Awe, it's so cute!" Rachel gushed.

"Um, no." Quinn rolled her eyes but took out her pokédex anyway.

**"Bellsprout: The Flower Pokémon. A Bellsprout's thin and flexible body lets it bend and sway to avoid any attack, however strong it may be. From its mouth, it leaks a fluid that melts even iron. It plants its feet deep underground to replenish water. It can't escape its enemy while it's rooted."**

"Yeah, that's what I want; my Pokémon stuck to the ground as Hitmontop charges at it with a kick." Quinn scoffed.

Rachel crossed her arms with a huff. "I bet Bellsprout would be able to hold its own against…" She trailed off as the scrawny Pokémon tripped over a twig. "…never mind." She sighed.

Quinn chortled at the scene. She then stepped onto a patch of tall grass and startled as a flash of pink jumped out. "Whoa, what—"

"_Flaaffy!"_

"What the…" She pointed her pokédex at the new arrival.

**"Flaaffy: The Wool Pokémon. Flaaffy's wool quality changes so that it can generate a high amount of static electricity with a small amount of wool. If its coat becomes fully charged with electricity, its tail lights up. It fires hair that zaps on impact."**

Quinn put her pokédex away with a grin. "Yes! This is exactly what I need."

"It's a little girly." Puck remarked as he looked at the Pokémon that had a pink body with black stripes around its ears and tail, fluffs of white wool on its neck and head, and a blue orb-like tip on its tail.

"I think _she_," Rachel narrowed her eyes at the boy, "is adorable!"

"See what I mean?" Puck deadpanned.

Quinn ignored the arguing duo in favor of reaching onto her belt to retrieve a pokéball. "Go, Dratini!"

"—sexist attitude towards Pokémon that—"

"_Dratini!"_

Rachel abruptly cut herself off when she noticed the little dragon type Pokémon. Her eyes lit up as she took in his healthy and happy appearance; he was definitely better off with Quinn than Team Sylvester.

"Dratini, use Wrap!"

The blue Pokémon slithered towards Flaaffy to wrap his body around her and squeeze. He quickly let go when Flaaffy let out shocks of electricity in response.

"You're doing great, Dratini. Shake it off!" Quinn encouraged. "Use Slam!"

Flaaffy jumped up and dodged right as Dratini charged at her. Her body started to spark with electricity as she turned around and ran back towards Dratini. The electricity started to condense in a ball at the tip of her tail and she whipped it back to throw Electro Ball at her opponent. _"Flaaffy!"_

"Dratini, use twister!" Quinn quickly called out as Electro Ball came hurdling towards her Pokémon.

Dratini closed his eyes as a gust of wind started to pick up and form a funnel.

"Quinn, get back!" Rachel called out as she and Puck jumped behind a tree when twigs and leaves were sucked into the twister. Her eyes widened when Flaaffy's ball of electricity was sucked into it as well.

The funnel started to glow as electricity traveled throughout it. "Dratini, return!" Once she put his pokéball back on her belt loop, she grabbed another item and threw it right before the twister shot out a blinding light and exploded.

"Quinn!"

* * *

Dave stopped walking. "Did you hear something?"

Santana waved him off as she continued her phone conversation. "—do we really have to do this? I mean," she scoffed, "I know our uniforms are matching tracksuits, but we're not some freak show, F."

Dave watched as she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. I know it will bring in a lot of money for the project, but I'm not—" She turned to Dave when the person on the other line must've interrupted her. He chortled when she brought her hand to her throat and made a gagging motion. "Okay, fine! But Auntie Snix ain't no variety act, so don't expect me to wear sequins or some shit, F!"

Dave quirked an eyebrow when she huffed and hung up her phone. "Plan still set in motion?"

"Unfortunately." She deadpanned. She put her phone away and addressed him, "What'd you say earlier?"

"Huh? Oh," Dave looked over his shoulder before turning back around and shrugging. "Thought I heard something. Guess not."

* * *

"Quinn!" Rachel yelled out once it was safe. She jumped up from her spot behind the tree and ran into the area. She waved her hand around to clear some of the smoke.

"Hey, Q! Where are ya?" Puck hollered when he followed Rachel.

A cough alerted them of the blonde's whereabouts. They watched as she slowly walked out of the clearing smoke with dust and dirt covering her. She stopped in front of her friends and lifted her head to grin at them. Their eyes traveled upwards when Quinn thrust her hand in the air.

A pokéball was in her grasp.

"I caught Flaaffy!"

Puck gaped at her.

Rachel let out a watery laugh of disbelief before she threw her arms around Quinn. "You idiot!"

"Whoa, h-hey!" Quinn sputtered out as she stumbled backwards. She regained her footing and wrapped the arm not holding the pokéball around the brunette.

"Don't ever go to such extremes to catch a Pokémon like that again, Lucy Quinn Fabray!" Rachel yelled as she buried her head into Quinn's neck.

"Dude," Puck spoke up, "that was so badass!"

Rachel let go of Quinn to bop him on the head. "Don't encourage such behavior!"

"Ouch! Hey, it was your idea for her to _regroup_ and catch more Pokémon!" Puck glared and rubbed his head.

Quinn looked at the pokéball with a small smile before turning back to her friends. "Enough, you two. Let's go back to the Pokémon Center."

Rachel's eyes widened. "Why? Are you hurt?"

Quinn put her hand on the brunette's shoulder. "I'm fine. I'm just—" She glanced at her filthy clothes with a grimace.

Puck laughed and winked. "You're a dirty girl, Quinn—Ouch! Damn it, Rachel!" He pouted and once again rubbed the sore spot on his head.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Come on, you guys."

* * *

"You can do this, Quinn. You trained all day yesterday after you caught Flaaffy. You're ready."

Quinn gave a determined nod in Rachel's direction. She straightened out her shoulders and pushed open the doors to the gym.

"Welcome to my gym. My name is Mike Chang—Oh! Hi!" Mike smiled when he noticed it was the three friends from the day before. "Rachel, right? And Puck, and…"

"Quinn." She responded and firmly shook his hand.

Mike quirked an eyebrow up at the different vibe the blonde was giving off today; completely different than the one from yesterday. He motioned for her to follow him to the battlefield.

"The rules are standard Pokémon gym ones; whoever beats all of the other person's team is the victor. Ready?" Mike said as he pulled out a pokéball.

Quinn mirrored his moves. "You bet."

"I choose you, Primeape!"

Quinn's eyes widened as she took in the sight of the angry-looking ball of fur.

"Shit." Puck muttered. "I thought he was gonna use Hitmontop!"

Rachel bit her lip as she took out her pokédex and pointed it at the fighting type Pokémon.

**"Primeape: The Pig Monkey Pokémon. When Primeape becomes furious, its blood circulation is boosted. In turn, its muscles are made even stronger. However, it also becomes much less intelligent at the same time."**

A contemplative look appeared on Quinn's face as she listened to the pokédex entry. She returned her attention to the start of the battle with a smirk and threw out the pokéball in her hand.

"Go, Flaaffy!"

Primeape's eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of his opponent. He beat his fists against his chest and let out a snarl.

Tina walked up to the side of the field. "The battle will commence in three, two, one!"

"Primeape, Focus Energy." The fighting type Pokémon closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Flaaffy, use Take Down!" The wool Pokémon charged at Primeape and knocked her head against his body. She bounced off him and stumbled backwards.

Primeape's left eye started to twitch; however, he didn't budge.

"Come on, Primeape, keep focusing! You're almost there!"

"You're okay, Flaaffy! Keep using Take Down!"

"_Flaaffy!"_ Flaaffy regained her footing and charged at the unmoving Pokémon again and again.

Primeape let out a huff of annoyance.

"Once more, Flaaffy!"

The wool Pokémon knocked herself into Primeape one more time. The pig monkey Pokémon snapped his eyes open and glared at her.

"Okay, Primeape, now release the ener—"

Primeape ignored Mike's command and beat his fists against his chest before giving chase to the wool Pokémon.

Mike's eyes widened as he sputtered out, "Primeape, what are you doing?"

Tina gasped as she watched the scene unfold.

"Flaaffy, wiggle your tail at him!" Quinn commanded with a grin.

Flaaffy jumped over Primeape's head as he charged at her. The fighting type Pokémon turned around to see Flaaffy wiggling her tail. His nostrils flared and he punched the ground before chasing her again.

"They're…" Rachel trailed off as Primeape became flustered. "They're taunting him on purpose!"

Puck barked out a laugh when Primeape tried to tackle Flaaffy but ended up tripping over his feet.

"Primeape, stop! Focus! Use Low Kick!"

"_Prime!"_ Primeape picked himself up off the ground and swung his fist at Flaaffy.

"I said Low Kick!" Mike ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. "Fine, use Karate Chop—Oh, _now_ you use Low Kick…"

Quinn turned her head to giggle before calling out a move. "Dodge it! Okay, now use Confuse Ray!"

Flaaffy ran to the left and held her tail upwards as a power started to shoot out of it.

Primeape's eyes glazed over and he immediately stopped his rampage.

"Use Seismic Toss!" Mike called out.

Primeape shook his head and tried to look for Flaaffy. The room kept spinning in his eyes and he let out a roar of frustration.

"Okay, Flaaffy, use Thunder!"

The wool Pokémon let out sparks of electricity to form one giant bolt that went straight for her opponent.

"N-no way…" Tina stuttered out. She walked to the field and announced, "Primeape is unable to battle…"

"Yes! Quinn! That was amazing!" Rachel cheered.

"Primeape, return." Mike called back his Pokémon with his head down. He took a deep breath as he reached for his next one. "I must admit, that was a brilliant battle tactic."

Quinn smirked.

"However, you won't be able to do that again with this one. Go, Hitmontop!"

"_Top!"_

Quinn narrowed her eyes. "You can do this, Flaaffy! I believe in you!"

Mike tilted his head to the side at the challenger's admittance before he called out a move. "No more playing around. Hitmontop, use Rolling Kick!"

"_Hitmontop-top!"_ Hitmontop jumped on his head and started spinning towards Flaaffy.

"Flaaffy, use ThunderShock!" The wool Pokémon let out a battle cry as she shot out electricity.

Hitmontop spun around the sparks and made his way towards Flaaffy to kick at her sides.

"_Flaaffy!"_ She stumbled as the onslaught of kicks continued.

"Shake him off and use Signal beam, Flaaffy!"

The pink wool Pokémon jumped backwards to dodge the kick and fired out a rainbow colored beam.

"Dodge it, Hitmontop!"

"_Top!"_ Hitmontop twirled out of the way of the beam.

"Now use Rapid Spin!" The fighting type Pokémon continued to spin on his head and made his way towards Flaaffy to tackle her.

"Damn. Why won't the pipsqueak stay still?" Puck hollered in frustration.

Mike smirked.

Quinn raised an eyebrow. "That's it," she mumbled to herself before she called out, "Flaaffy! Use Thunder Wave!"

Flaaffy picked herself off the ground and started to glow yellow. Multiple beams of electricity fired their way towards Hitmontop.

"Move away from them, Hitmontop—Shit!" Mike yelled when his Pokémon was hit with the move and collapsed. Hitmontop tried to pick himself up but his limbs were paralyzed.

"Let's try this again. Flaaffy, use Signal Beam!"

"_Flaaf!"_ Flaaffy once more shot out a rainbow beam towards Hitmontop. The fighting type Pokémon skidded backwards from the impact.

"Stop!"

Quinn looked on in confusion at Mike's outburst.

"I know my Pokémon's limits. There's no way we can win this round. Hitmontop, return!"

"Great job, Q!" Puck cheered her on and high-fived Rachel.

"Flaaffy is once again the victor." Tina stated in disbelief. She turned towards Mike and tilted her head to the side. The gym leader returned her gaze and nodded his head. Her eyes lit up and she walked back to the sidelines with a smirk.

Quinn furrowed her brows at the silent communication. Before she could think anymore of it, Mike threw out his last pokéball.

"_Hitmonlee!"_

"What the…" She trailed off before she took out her pokédex.

**"Hitmonlee: The Kicking Pokémon. Hitmonlee's legs freely contract and stretch. Using these spring-like legs, it bowls over foes with devastating kicks. The soles of its feet turn as hard as diamonds when giving a particular hard kick. It has earned the nickname The Kick Master."**

Rachel gulped. "Be careful, Quinn!"

The blonde nodded before turning to her Pokémon. "Flaaffy, I think you're about to fight your toughest opponent yet. Are you sure you wanna do this?"

The wool Pokémon puffed out her chest and gave a determined nod.

Mike studied the two with a curious look. He was shaken out of his reverie when Quinn said, "Okay, Mike, let's do this!"

He smirked. "Okay. Hitmonlee, use Double Kick!"

The brown Pokémon stretched his spring-like legs out to kick Flaaffy.

"Flaaffy, use Electro Ball!"

The pink Pokémon formed a ball of electricity in her tail and swung it at her opponent right as a kick landed to her torso.

Hitmonlee stumbled as the ball burst into sparks once it made contact with him.

"Power through it, Hitmonlee! Use Hi Jump Kick!" The fighting type Pokémon shook off the sparks and jumped into the air and did a front flip. He then blared down from the air and stuck his leg out.

Quinn's eyes widened as Flaaffy was knocked out.

"Flaaffy is unable to battle! Hitmonlee wins!" Tina called out.

"Shit. Flaaffy, return!"

"It's okay, Quinn! You both did amazing!" Rachel cheered her on.

The blonde nodded and held the pokéball to her chest. "She's right. You were so awesome, Flaaffy. We're almost there because of you." She switched the pokéball for another and took a deep breath. "I'm counting on you… Go, Cyndaquil!"

"_Cynda!"_

"Hitmonlee, use Mega Kick!"

"Cyndaquil, use SmokeScreen!"

The little fire mouse Pokémon let out a fog of black smoke as Hitmonlee went to kick him. The fighting type Pokémon looked from left to right to try to find his opponent.

"Cyndaquil, use Flamethrower!"

A blast of fire shot out through the smoke and hit Hitmonlee in the chest.

"Hitmonlee, Endure!"

"_Hitmonlee!"_ Hitmonlee braced himself against the flames until the attack was over.

Quinn's eyebrows rose when the fighting type Pokémon seemed to be unharmed.

"Now use Close Combat!"

Hitmonlee ran at high speeds and struck his right leg out to kick Cyndaquil.

"Cyndaquil!" Quinn cried out as her little Pokémon cowered from the blows. "Use…" She trailed off as she tried to think of a move. "Use Eruption!"

The flames on Cyndaquil's back grew and a geyser of fire erupted from them towards Hitmonlee.

"_Cynda…Quuuuuil!"_ The fire Pokémon continued to shoot flames out when he all of a sudden started to glow.

Mike's eyes widened when the little fire mouse Pokémon's body started to grow along with his flames.

"He's evolving!" Rachel yelled out in amazement.

"_Quilava!"_ The newly evolved Pokémon stood up on his hind legs and let out a battle cry.

Quinn's mouth hung open and she took out her pokédex and pointed it at her Pokémon.

**"Quilava. The Volcano Pokémon. Quilava keeps its foes at bay with the intensity of its flames and gusts of superheated air. This Pokémon applies its outstanding nimbleness to dodge attacks even while scorching the foes with flames."**

Mike grimaced. "Hitmonlee, use Low Sweep!"

The fighting type Pokémon staggered towards Quilava; Eruption had done a number on him.

Quinn snapped her mouth shut and smirked. "Quilava, dodge it and use Fire Blast!"

The blue volcano Pokémon swiftly ran to the side as Hitmonlee attempted to kick him. The flames on his back rose as he opened his mouth and shot out a blast of fire directly onto Hitmonlee.

Tina sighed. "Hitmonlee is unable to fight. Quinn wins the StepBadge."

"Yes!" Rachel jumped up as the battle ended and ran towards Quinn.

The blonde grinned and called back Quilava into his pokéball.

"Yeah! You kicked some serious ass out there, Q!" Puck picked her up and spun her around. "Go Team Quinnlava!"

Quinn laughed and playfully hit him in the shoulder to put her down. "Team Quinnlava?"

"Yeah, you and Quilava. I just thought of it. Pretty badass, huh?"

She chuckled and turned towards Mike as he called back Hitmonlee and walked towards her with his head down. She sucked in a breath and waited for him to say something.

"Congratulations, Quinn!" He looked up at her with a smile. "Your bond and trust with your Pokémon aided you in this battle. You took the necessary _step_ in understanding what it means to be a Pokémon trainer, and with that, I give you the StepBadge!"

Puck snatched the badge out of the gym leader's hands before it could reach Quinn. "Oh, wow. I thought you called it the StepBadge because Tina said you were a dancer or something." He remarked.

"I thought it was because you specialize in Pokémon that use their feet for battle." Rachel added.

"You're all right." Tina piped up. "But he likes to act older than he is and pretend to be wise."

Mike blushed and sheepishly rubbed his neck. He quickly grabbed the badge from Puck and gave it to Quinn. "Here." He pointedly ignored the other boy's snickers.

* * *

Quinn stared at her badge with pride as the gang traveled out of the city the next day.

Rachel beamed at the blonde. "I knew you could do it—"

"_Jiggly!"_

"Oh, what's that?" Rachel asked excitedly.

Puck gawked at the pink Pokémon. "Um, Rach…"

She ignored him and took out her pokédex.

**"Jigglypuff: The Balloon Pokémon. Jigglypuff's vocal chords can freely adjust the wavelength of its voice. This Pokémon uses this ability to sing at precisely the right wavelength to make its foes most drowsy."**

"…adjust the wavelength of its voice…" Rachel trailed off in amazement before squealing. "She _sings!_"

Quinn's eyebrows rose as it seemed Rachel missed the rest of the pokédex entry. "Yeah, but Rachel—"

"Oh, I must have her!" Rachel ignored her friend's worried glances and determinedly marched up towards the pink balloon Pokémon.

Jigglypuff quirked her head to the side at the humans before widening her eyes; she finally had an audience! She closed her eyes sang. _"Jigglypuff…"_

Rachel stopped in her tracks. "Hmm? Oh, she's performing for us—" She didn't finish her sentence as she promptly fell asleep.

"Q! Cover your ears…" Puck fell to the ground with a snore.

"Rachel!" Quinn clapped her hands over her ears and ran towards the brunette. She knelt down beside her to check on her. She put a hand on Rachel's cheek before she realized what she did. The song wafted in her ears and she dozed off on top of her friend.

Jigglypuff finished the song and opened her eyes. She grinned expectantly as she looked around for her audience. Her balloon body inflated as she angrily noticed them asleep on the ground. _"Puff!"_ She walked up to the boy with the mohawk and kicked her little foot in his side.

Puck snored and rolled over with his thumb in his mouth.

"_Jigglypuff! Puff!"_ The pink Pokémon huffed and stormed out of the area.


	7. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Glee is not mine, and the only Pokémon I own are in my video games.

* * *

Quinn stretched and felt something silky hit her hand. She yawned as she felt around trying to figure out what it was. She blinked open her eyes to find her face buried in Rachel's neck and her hand running through the brunette's hair.

"Ack!"

Rachel's eyes fluttered open at the commotion. She sat up to stretch and unknowingly exposed part of her stomach as she lifted her arms. She heard a squeak and tilted her head to the side at the blonde's red face. "Quinn?"

Quinn flushed deeper at the husky quality Rachel's voice had from sleep. "Y-yes?"

"Why are—"

An obnoxiously loud snore interrupted her. Both girls turned to see Puck curled up with his thumb in his mouth.

Rachel smirked while Quinn used this opportunity to distract herself. She crawled over to the sleeping boy and roughly shook his shoulders.

"…nyaah… leggo my eggo…" He muttered and waved his arm in the air.

Quinn grabbed his hand and squeezed. Hard. "Wake up!"

Puck's eyes snapped open. "I'm up! I'm up!" He cradled his hand and glared at her before noticing his surroundings. "What the hell happened?"

"Yes, I would also like to inquire as to why we were asleep outside in the middle of the day."

Quinn gathered her belongings that fell before she conked out earlier. "Jigglypuff." She swung her backpack over her shoulders and stood up.

Puck's eyes widened. "Oh yeah!" He got to his feet and pointed a finger at Rachel. "If you didn't try to catch that Jigglypuff, she wouldn't have used Sing and made us fall asleep!"

"So this is _my_ fault?" Rachel belted and stood up on her tiptoes to try to reach his eyelevel.

Puck shrugged. "You said it; not me."

Rachel stomped her foot in frustration.

"Hey!" Quinn walked between the two and separated them. "It's no one's fault." Puck went to protest, but Quinn cut him off. "A Jigglypuff loves an audience. She still would've seen us even if Rachel didn't approach her and she still would've sung and we _still_ would've fallen asleep and lost valuable travel time."

Rachel stuck her tongue out at Puck.

He sheepishly rubbed his mohawk and mumbled out an apology to the brunette.

Her eyes softened and she murmured her forgiveness.

Quinn smiled. "Good. Now that _that's_ out of the way… Does anyone know what time it is?"

Puck looked at his watch. "It's a little after six."

Rachel nodded as she took out her map. "If we continue down this path on foot, we won't make it to the next town until morning." The two friends groaned. "Oh, but look!" She excitedly pointed to the map. "If we veer off the path in this direction, we can go up Cycling Road and make it before nightfall!"

Quinn's eyes widened.

"What the hell is Cycling Road?" Puck asked.

"It's a shortcut designed for trainers! However, one is only allowed access to it if they have a bicycle."

"Oh, that's too bad!" Quinn waved her off. "None of us have bikes so it looks like we're taking the long way! Okay, let's go—"

"Don't worry, Quinn! There's a place that lets you rent bikes just as long as you return it to the building located at the end of Cycling Road."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Puck threw a fist in the air.

Rachel giggled and followed after him.

Quinn sighed.

* * *

"Oh, look at this one!" Rachel gushed as she strapped on a bike helmet that was red with a giant gold star in the middle.

"Hey, check me out!" Puck laughed. He had on a helmet that was shaped like the skull Cubones wear over their heads.

"Unless you're going to buy or rent that, I suggest you take it off!" A worker scowled as she grabbed the item off the boy.

"Okay, okay. I'm renting it. Sheesh." Puck grumbled.

The woman rolled her eyes and handed it back to him. She glared at him one last time before going back to the counter.

Rachel walked up to the blonde with a helmet similar to hers; this one was blue with a silver star. "I think you should rent this one! We can match!"

Quinn tried to give a small smile as she shakily took the helmet.

Rachel furrowed her brows. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" Quinn replied as she put it on.

"Now that we all have headgear, let's go see the bikes!" Puck grabbed the two by their arms and dragged them to the bike racks.

Quinn grimaced.

Rachel quirked her head to the side before her eyes widened. "Quinn, do you…do you perhaps not know how to ride a bicycle?"

The blonde blushed and looked down.

Puck snorted.

Rachel bopped him on the shoulder—he had his Cubone helmet back on—before turning back to Quinn. "Well, it's no big deal—"

"No big deal? Rachel, it's embarrassing!" The blonde cried out.

"Quiet!" The worker sneered.

"Damn, lady. It's not like this is a library." Puck muttered.

"I'm sixteen years old and I've never even learned how to ride a bike." Quinn continued in a lower voice.

"Never?" He repeated.

"No. Frannie told me she would teach me but then she…"

"Hey. It's okay." Rachel drew the blonde into a hug when her hazel eyes got watery. She pulled back from the embrace but kept her hands on Quinn's shoulders. "We'll just see if there are any bikes with foot pegs."

"Yeah, Q! All ya gotta do is hold on tight while Rachel rides." Puck smirked.

The brunette's eyebrows shot up to her forehead and her face turned red.

Quinn nodded, oblivious to the innuendo. "Yeah. I think that could work! Let me go ask that worker…" She turned and walked up to the counter.

Rachel hit Puck in the shoulder again while he just chortled.

Quinn returned with the annoyed worker. The woman walked over to a certain area of bikes and unchained one, "Here, this one has foot pegs."

Rachel grimaced. "Um, excuse me," she read her nametag and her eyes widened. "Terri Schuester?"

Puck laughed in disbelief. "Schuester? Like, Professor Schuester? Dude! Are you related to him or something?" He lifted a hand for a high-five.

The woman scowled and crossed her arms. "Ex-wife."

He awkwardly retracted his hand.

Rachel coughed. "Well… Terri, I see that red and blue bike over there has foot pegs. May I rent that one?" She turned to Quinn with a smile. "It matches our helmets!"

Terri huffed and put the first bike back. She trudged to the one Rachel wanted and brought it out.

Rachel clapped excitedly. "Okay, Q, you go find us protective knee and elbow padding and I'll roll this up to the counter."

"Rach, I really don't think we need—"

"Quinn! While I am confident in my biking abilities, one can never be too safe on Cycling Road!"

The blonde shook her head and smiled. "Okay. I'll see you at the counter."

"Holy shit! I want this bike!" Puck exclaimed as he ran over to a bike that had handles shaped like a Machoke's arms.

Terri sighed. Four hours, three days a week was too much work for her.

* * *

"Okay, Quinn, just hold on tight." Rachel instructed with a blush as they got ready to travel on Cycling Road.

Quinn's face mirrored hers as she nodded. She stepped onto the foot pegs and hesitantly put her hands on the brunette's shoulders.

"Come on!" Puck hollered. He was popping wheelies on his bike while he waited for them to get situated. "We'll never make it before dark if you two don't hurry!"

"Are you ready?" Rachel asked her. Quinn murmured in affirmative and the brunette put her foot on the pedal and pushed.

The blonde gasped and shut her eyes at the movement. She slid her hands from Rachel's shoulders to her torso and held on tight.

Rachel instantly hit the brakes when she felt the other girl pressed up against her.

Quinn tentatively opened her eyes. "Why'd you stop?"

The brunette shivered at the hot breath ghosting across her neck. "Y-you just startled me. I-I didn't expect you to hold on like that."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can…I can put my hands back on your shoulders—"

"No! Erm, I mean," the brunette cleared her throat in embarrassment. "You're fine the way you are. You can get a better grip by holding onto my sides. Yes, that's exactly why you should stay where you are. Yep. Definitely." Rachel nodded.

"Sometime before my mohawk gets long and starts looking like I got a Rattata on my head!"

Rachel huffed and glared at Puck as she once more pushed down on the pedal. She then smiled at the feel of Quinn's arms around her.

* * *

The farther they traveled on Cycling Road, the more bird type Pokémon they saw. Quinn looked up at the darkening sky and gazed at a flock of Pidgey and their evolved forms spreading their wings and flying towards the approaching town.

They eventually made it to the end of Cycling Road and pedaled into an archway that led into a building. They hit the brakes and stopped their bikes at a desk. Quinn hopped off the foot pegs and removed her helmet.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it—" Rachel snapped her mouth shut and stared at Quinn as the blonde shook out her long locks from the helmet.

"Hmmm?" Quinn turned around towards the brunette. She quirked an eyebrow up at her friend's flushed face.

"Man," Puck panted as he slowly rode in, "I can't... believe... most of that… was uphill…" He shakily stood up from the bike and promptly fell to the ground.

Quinn smirked. "It wasn't that bad."

He gasped in a breath and glared at her. "Whatever, Q. You didn't even have to do anything so I don't wanna hear shit from you right now."

"True, but Rachel's not out of breath and she had to pedal with my extra weight…" Quinn trailed off and quickly turned to the brunette. "I-I wasn't… I wasn't too heavy, was I?" She may have lost her baby fat and gotten contacts and dyed her hair, but Quinn could still be insecure little Lucy on the inside.

"Not at all, Quinn." Rachel reassured her.

Puck groaned and pulled his helmet off. "Oh, okay. Whatever. Not all of us have freakishly strong, long legs like you, Berry." He tilted his head to the side and traveled his eyes up her legs. "Which I don't get considering how short you are."

Rachel let out a scandalized gasp and went to bop him when Quinn beat him to it.

"D-don't leer at her!"

"Ouch! Hey! I wasn't!" Puck rubbed his mohawk and pouted.

Quinn huffed and turned towards the desk. She harshly hit the bell on the counter to get a worker's attention.

Puck pulled himself up from the ground and smirked at Quinn who had her arms crossed and her foot tapping in irritation.

"Welcome! My name is Trent! I hope you enjoyed your ride on Cycling Road!" A boy around their age called out as he appeared at the desk.

Quinn glared at him.

He gulped and addressed them. "I-if you've rented your equipment, pl-please leave your helmets and padding on the desk a-and roll your bikes over there." He shakily pointed to the bike rack by the wall.

Quinn removed her elbow and knee pads before slamming them on the counter. Trent flinched. Rachel and Puck returned from setting the bikes up and then removed the rest of their gear as well.

"Man," Puck drawled, "I'm gonna miss this helmet." He caressed it and Rachel giggled at his dramatics. Quinn scoffed and trudged out of the building.

"What's up with her?" Rachel asked in concern.

Puck rolled his eyes and went to say something, but the brunette was already out the door. He turned to Trent. "Chicks, huh?"

"W-well—"

"Yeah, I don't care. Later!" Puck threw his hand up in goodbye and walked out the door.

Trent sighed. He really hated the nightshift.

* * *

"Quinn! Hey, wait up!" Rachel called as she grabbed onto the blonde's shoulder. "What was that about? Are you okay? Did the bike ride make you nauseous? Do you need—"

Quinn sighed. "It was nothing. I'm fine."

Rachel furrowed her brows. "Are you sure?" She grabbed Quinn's hand.

Quinn stared at their hands for a moment before she slowly traveled her gaze up to meet Rachel's. "Yeah." The blonde breathed out and shyly smiled. "I'm fine. I swear."

Rachel gave a tentative smile. "If you're sure…"

"Holy crap, look at this place!" Puck yelled as he made his way towards the two. He spun around and took in his surroundings.

Quinn let go of Rachel's grasp and looked around with a gasp. "Oh, wow. It's beautiful."

Rachel sighed at the loss of contact and looked at the blonde. "Yeah, so beautiful." She murmured. She then followed her friends' gazes upwards.

The town in front of them was constructed into various trees and connected by rope bridges. All throughout the branches of the trees and flying around town were flocks of bird type Pokémon.

"So this is where they were headed." Rachel affirmed.

"Talk about the ultimate tree house!" Puck quipped. He ran to climb a rope ladder to officially get into the town when…

"_Hoot!"_

"Gah!" Puck lost his hold on the ladder and landed on his ass.

Quinn wrapped her arms around her stomach as she laughed at the boy.

"_Hoot! Hoothoot!"_ The Pokémon that startled him flew down and landed in front of them.

Rachel took out her pokédex and pointed at the bird.

"**Hoothoot: The Owl Pokémon. Hoothoot always stands on one foot. It changes feet so fast, the movement can rarely be seen. It can sense and track the earth's rotation. Because of these senses, it hoots at precisely the same time every day. Some trainers use them in place of clocks." **

Rachel grinned and reached for a pokéball.

"Awe hell no, Rach. Don't even think about it. I don't want that thing waking me up at the crack of dawn!" Puck whined as he picked himself up.

She ignored him and threw the ball. A bright red light shot out and Chikorita emerged. "Mr. Arnstein, use tackle!"

"_Chicka!"_ The leaf Pokémon ran at full force. Hoothoot flapped her wings and dodged the attack thus making Chikorita run into a tree trunk.

"Oh, no! It's okay, Nicky! Use Razor Leaf!"

The green Pokémon shook his head to regain focus before shooting out multiple leaves at the owl Pokémon.

Hoothoot waved her little wings and blew the leaves away. She flew down to Chikorita and landed one foot on his back. She then proceeded to peck at his head.

"Hey! Get off him! That's cheating!" Rachel cried out.

Quinn pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"_Chicka! Chikarita!"_ The leaf Pokémon seemed to scowl in irritation as the pecking continued. He then started to glow and change form.

"_Hoot!"_ The tiny brown owl flew off of the evolving Pokémon and stood in front of him on one foot.

"Awesome! Nicky Arnstein's evolving!" Puck whooped.

"_Bayleef!"_

Rachel bit her lip and pointed her pokédex to her newly evolved Pokémon.

"**Bayleef: The Leaf Pokémon. The scent that wafts from the leaves on its neck causes anyone who smells it to become energetic. The aroma also acts as a stimulant to restore health. Its grass type moves, such as Razor Leaf or SolarBeam, are extremely powerful."**

Rachel's eyes lit up. "Okay, Mr. Arnstein, use SolarBeam!"

"_Leef!"_ The leaf on Bayleef's head and the ones on his neck started to glow white. He gathered energy and opened his mouth in Hoothoot's direction and fired out a white beam.

"_Hoothoot!"_ Hoothoot's already big eyes became even bigger as she attempted to flap her small wings. The beam hit her before she could fly out of the way.

Rachel quickly threw a pokéball and waited with bated breath as it rolled from side to side. It finally stopped moving and she jumped in the air. "I caught a Hoothoot!" She returned Bayleef back to his ball before running over to Hoothoot's. She picked it up and excitedly showed her friends.

Quinn watched the scene with a small smile.

"Awesome! What are you gonna name her?" Puck asked before his eyes lit up. "No, wait! Let me name her!"

"She's _my_ Pokémon—"

"Awe, come on!"

"Oh, okay. Fine." Rachel sighed. She released the newly captured Hoothoot and watched as the owl Pokémon gazed around in confusion before landing her eyes on her new trainer.

"_Hoot!"_ Hoothoot jumped up on one foot excitedly and flapped her tiny wings to fly her way onto Rachel's shoulder.

"How about Jack Daniels?"

Quinn slapped her forehead in exasperation. "This Hoothoot is a girl."

"Fine. Jackie Daniels."

Rachel glared at him. "I am _not_ naming my Pokémon after an alcoholic beverage!"

"What about Hennessy?"

The brunette's left eye twitched. "What did I just say about not naming her after an alcoholic bev—"

"But you said I could name her!" Puck whined.

"Yes, but not after—"

"You can call her Nessy for short!" He offered.

Rachel narrowed her eyes at him as he attempted to pout at her in hopes it would sway her decision. She looked to Quinn who just shrugged in return. She sighed. "Only if it's spelled with an IE at the end instead of a Y."

Puck smirked. "Deal."

Rachel rolled her eyes at him but smiled when she felt Hoothoot nuzzle her cheek. She picked up the owl Pokémon from off her shoulder and held her in front of her. "Hi, Nessie."

"_Hoothoot!"_ The little owl Pokémon hooted excitedly in response before wincing slightly.

"Awe, you must still be sore from the battle. I'm sorry."

"Let's try and find the PokéCenter. " Quinn offered and turned to climb up the rope ladder.

Rachel put Hoothoot back in her ball and followed the blonde. She blushed at the sight above her and quickly averted her gaze as she climbed. She could hear Puck snickering below her.

Once up the ladder, the gang gazed at all the buildings situated in the treetops with awe. They spotted the Pokémon Center in another tree and steadily crossed the rope bridge to it.

"Hello! I'm Nurse Pillsbury! Welcome to the Pokémon Center. We restore your tired Pokémon to full health! Would you like to rest your Pokémon?"

Puck scratched his head as his friends walked up the counter to heal their Pokémon; he never understood why it seemed all the women in the Pillsbury family were nurses.

Just like how all the men in the Howell family were police officers.

Weird.

He shook his head and walked up to the girls just as they were asking about staying for the night.

"The only rooms currently available are singles or doubles."

"We'll take a double, please." Said Rachel.

Nurse Pillsbury gave Rachel the form. Her eyebrows shot to her forehead as a boy with a mohawk walked up to the duo.

"Thank you!" Rachel beamed when Chansey gave her the room key.

Puck threw his arms around the girls' shoulders and led them to their room.

Nurse Pillsbury eyed the door warily before quickly getting out a pen to mark down the room number and to write "_throw out bed sheets!_" underneath it.

She shook her head. Teens these days and their wild copulating.

* * *

Quinn glanced around the room. "So, who gets the couch?"

"No one, Quinn! Puck will get that bed, and you and I can share this one!" Rachel attempted to state nonchalantly.

Puck smirked.

"O-okay." Quinn replied hesitantly before going to the bathroom to wash up.

The boy turned to Rachel. "You're sneaky."

Rachel blushed. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Noah."

"Really? Because there's a perfectly good recliner that I wouldn't mind sleeping on for the night so you two wouldn't be stuck sharing."

The brunette's eyes widened. "N-nonsense! We don't want you to…to… to have a stiff back! Studies show that sleeping in chairs can cause back problems, a-and—"

A knock at the door interrupted her.

Puck laughed and opened the door; Chansey was standing outside with a cart of food. "Oh, awesome! Thanks, Chansey!" He told her before wheeling the cart in the room and shutting the door.

Rachel's eyes brightened at the distraction—and the assortment of vegan friendly food. She beamed at the fact Pokémon Centers took the time to read the forms trainers fill out when they stay the night. She got herself a plate and sat on one of the beds.

Puck picked out some food and sat on the one opposite of her. They ate in silence for quite some time before Puck spoke up again. "So…" he drawled with his mouth full, "you're worried about my back, huh?"

Rachel grimaced at both his lack of manners and the fact he brought the conversation back up.

He swallowed his food and grinned at her. "Awe, I'm just teasing! I know you want to get your cuddle on with Q."

Rachel choked on her salad. She quickly took a drink of water and glared at the boy. "Are you suggesting I had ulterior motives in regards to the sleeping arrangements?"

"No." Puck smirked when she sighed in relief. "I'm not suggesting it; I'm inferring it."

"Infer doesn't mean…" She started to correct him before she trailed off in disbelief. "Y-you actually used one of the words I taught you correctly. Why now of all times?" Rachel set her plate on the nightstand and flopped onto her back with her forearm over her eyes.

"You love it."

"You're insufferable." Rachel groaned.

"Who's insufferable?" Quinn walked out of the bathroom in her sleep clothes as she toweled at her wet hair.

Rachel quickly sat up and gulped at the sight.

"You." Puck rolled his eyes. "I mean, damn, Q. You were in there forever!"

Quinn blushed and narrowed her eyes. "I only took, like, a twenty minute shower! Not even!"

"I can take, like, a five minute one." He mocked.

The blonde chucked her wet towel at his head as she walked over to the cart. "That explains so much." She picked some food onto a plate before joining Rachel on the bed.

Puck pulled the towel off his head and threw it in the hamper in the corner of the room. "Wait, what do you mean it explains so much? Are you saying I stink?"

Quinn plucked a strawberry into her mouth and smirked at the boy. "I said no such thing." She turned to the girl next to her and held up her plate in a silent offering. Rachel smiled and shook her head no.

"I don't stink!"

Quinn turned back to the boy with a quirked eyebrow. "Of course you don't."

"I don't!"

"Sure."

Puck growled and sat back on his bed with his arms crossed.

Less than thirty seconds went by before he shot off the bed and grabbed his backpack. He huffed and stomped into the bathroom.

Quinn took her and Rachel's empty plates and set them on the cart before she heard the sound of running water. She belted out a laugh and jumped onto the bed.

Rachel giggled but abruptly stopped when she noticed Quinn patting the spot next to her. She nervously swallowed and crawled up to the blonde's side.

"Hi." Quinn breathed.

"H-hi."

"I feel like we haven't talked in forever."

"We talk every—"

Quinn frowned. "No, I mean…" She glanced at the bathroom door. "Just the two of us."

"Oh."

"I figured the whole 'you stink' thing could get us at least ten minutes of Rachel and Quinn time." The blonde smiled.

Rachel grinned back. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Hm, I don't know." She leaned back against the headboard. "How are Papa Berrys? Have you talked to them lately?"

"I last spoke to Daddy after you won the StepBadge. He said he's immensely proud of you, by the way."

Quinn shyly ducked her head.

"Oh, and Dad texted me before the whole Jigglypuff thing happened! He said Artie told him that Professor Schuester still hasn't realized he's missing some Pokémon."

The blonde brought a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle.

Rachel gave a soft smile before turning serious. "What… what about you? Have you talked to your parents…" She trailed off when she felt the girl next to her tense.

"No."

"No? But it's been a week! Maybe they—"

"They haven't called or texted. Honestly? I expected this from da—I mean, from Russell, but I at least hoped Mom would contact me somehow." The blonde crossed her arms over her knees and rested her head on them. "But no. Nothing. But you know what? I don't care. I'm glad to be away from people that obviously don't care that their own daughter ran away."

Rachel sighed. "Quinn…"

"Can we talk about something else?"

It was silent for a while before Rachel spoke up. "It doesn't feel like we've been traveling for only a week."

Quinn nodded.

"I mean, it takes some trainers months to even get a few badges, but here you are; not even a fortnight into your journey and almost at three badges!" She nudged the blonde's shoulder. "You'll be at the Elite Four's stadium in no time!"

Quinn finally cracked a smile. "_We_ will be at the Elite Four stadium in no time." She uncrossed her arms and turned to the brunette. "What do you think the champion is like?"

"The champion? Oh, um, well, I… I don't know much about them." Rachel quickly looked off to the side. "But I hear they're strong."

"Yeah, they probably wouldn't be champion if they were weak, huh?" Quinn teased and poked Rachel's nose.

The brunette puffed out her cheeks in a pout.

Quinn laughed loudly. "Come here, you." She wrapped her arms around the brunette and pulled her into a lying position.

Rachel blushed and rested her head on the crook of Quinn's neck.

"Who stinks now?" Puck yelled as he threw open the bathroom door. "Not this guy! I smell like a fucking flower! You might as well call me Bellossom!" He stomped his way over to his bed and flopped down onto the covers.

Rachel internally panicked as she felt Quinn remove her arms.

"Bathroom's all yours, Rach." He obliviously said as he got out his phone.

The brunette slowly sat up and scowled at the boy. She picked her backpack up from the floor next to the bed and stormed into the bathroom.

The door slammed shut.

Puck quirked an eyebrow. "What's her deal?"

Quinn glared at him before rolling over to face the wall.

"Now what's _your_ deal?"

"Shut the lights off; I'm going to bed."

"Sheesh. Okay, HBIC." Puck grumbled and did as he was told. He got back into bed and picked his phone back up to text his mom.

"Turn a lamp on so Rachel will have some light to see once she's done with her shower and bedtime ritual."

"Damn, woman." Puck rolled his eyes and turned a lamp on. "Anything else, princess?"

"Yes. Shut up and goodnight."

* * *

"Of fucking course the gym would be located in the tallest tree in town." Puck deadpanned as the gang stared up at the long rope ladder that would lead them to the next badge.

Rachel fidgeted on her feet. She was feeling energized! Even though she had no idea if it was the four cups of coffee she inhaled or if it was the aroma Bayleef let off earlier that morning when the Pokémon were eating.

Probably both.

She looked at Quinn and beamed.

Her bright mood may also have something to do with waking up snuggled into the blonde's side.

She bolted up the ladder. "Let's go kick some ass!"

"Be careful!" Quinn called after her with a chuckle. She followed her up the rope ladder and looked down. "Hurry up, Puckerman!"

Puck sighed in exasperation. "I'm on the damn football team," he mumbled to himself as he climbed, "I tackle guys twice my size." He groaned when he looked up and saw the girls already half way towards the top. "I should not be having difficulty with this!"

He eventually made it to the top and collapsed on his knees with a deep breath.

Rachel skipped over to the tired boy and poked him in the ribs. "Slowpoke."

"Knock it off."

"Slowpoke."

"Knock it off."

"Slowpoke."

"Knock it off."

"Slowpoke."

"Knock it off!" He grabbed her finger and twisted it.

Rachel shrieked and flailed her arm in an attempt to free her finger. "Release me this once! This is unlawful physical contact!" He tightened his grip. "Help! Quinn! Assault! Assault!"

Quinn pinched the bridge of her nose as Rachel freed her hand and jumped on Puck's back. She ignored the boy's cries of pain and walked to the entrance of the gym. She paused in her footsteps and looked over her shoulder. "Just remember that it's a long way down." She then promptly entered through the doors of the building.

Rachel and Puck immediately stopped to peek over the ledge and down the rope ladder.

It _was_ a long way down.

"Truce?"

"Truce."

"Quinn! Wait for us!" They bounced to their feet and ran after the blonde through the doors.

"Welcome to my gym—"

"Oh, no! Don't strain yourself. Let me do it. I got this!" A familiar looking boy interrupted and turned towards the newcomers. "Welcome to the gym of Blaine Anderson!" He beamed but quickly gasped when he saw who the group consisted of. "Y-y-you!"

Quinn smirked. "Tim."

"It's Trent…"

The gym leader sighed and walked in front of the boy. "Hiya! As you heard, my name's Blaine Anderson. I see you had the courage to climb the rope ladder. Now let's see if you have the courage to face me and my bird Pokémon!"

Quinn quirked an eyebrow up. "Okay…" She took a step and shook the gym leader's hand. "I'm your challenger, Quinn."

"And I'm Rachel!" The girl exclaimed as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

"Puck." He crossed his arms and leveled a look at the room full of guys in matching blazers.

Quinn held onto his hand and stared at him. "Have we met before?"

Blaine tilted his head to the side. "I don't think so." He let go of her grip and grinned. "Are you ready to battle?" He led the blonde to the battlefield as Rachel and Puck stood off to the sidelines.

"Come on, Blaine. Forget this girl! She's not worth the time! Let me battle her for you so you don't have to!"

Quinn whipped her head around to glare at the group and opened her mouth to retort.

"The doctors are going to say your face isn't worth the time after my fist gets done with it!" Rachel belted as Puck grabbed onto her and held her back.

The boy in the blazer's eyes widened in fear and confusion.

"That won't be necessary, Wes. I'm the gym leader so I'm going to battle her." Blaine rolled his eyes.

"Yeah! That's why it's called a _gym_ badge! Because he's the gym leader! If you were to battle her, then they'd call it the rude and unstylish boy in blazer badge!" Rachel yelled as she struggled against Puck.

Quinn blushed and sheepishly rubbed her neck as Blaine watched the two girls with interest.

"Damn, Jewbabe! There are two things we need to work on." Puck tightened his hold on the kicking girl. "First, your insults. Second…" He lifted her up and walked back to the sidelines before setting her down. "No more coffee!"

The brunette gasped.

Blaine shook his head in amusement before reaching for a pokéball. "Are you ready?"

Quinn smirked. "Let's do this!"

"Wait!" Trent ran to the edge of the field with a flag. "Okay, the victor is decided when—"

"She already has two badges; I think she knows the rules by now!"

"Be quiet, Berry—Ouch! Damn it; stop bopping me on the head!"

Trent faltered. "Oh, um ." He looked back to the group of boys before hesitantly waving the flag. "Begin!"

Blaine rolled his eyes again; he wished they would stop coddling him. "Let's try this again. Go, Gligar!"

"_Gligar!"_

"**Gligar: The FlyScorpion Pokémon. Gligar glides through the air without a sound as if it were sliding. This Pokémon hangs on to the face of its foe using its clawed hind legs and the large pincers on its forelegs, then injects the prey with its poison barb."**

Quinn grimaced at the bat-like Pokémon as she put away her pokédex. She weighed her options as she looked at him. Her gaze landed on his wings and she smirked. "I choose you!"

"_Flaaffy!"_

Blaine merely smiled while the boys around the room chuckled and pointed.

"What's so funny?" Rachel demanded with a stomp of her foot.

Puck's eyes widened in realization. "Quinn! Gligar is part—"

"Flaaffy, use Thunder!"

"—ground." He finished with a wince as Flaaffy's electrical blast had absolutely no effect on Gligar.

"Shit." The blonde mumbled.

"See, this is why Blaine shouldn't even waste his time with you! Did you really think a leader of a gym would leave himself open to extreme type disadvantages? That's why his first Pokémon is not only a flying type, but part ground; electric moves do nothing to ground types!"

"Wes!" Blaine reprimanded before turning back to the battle. "Gligar, use Quick Attack!"

"_Gligar!"_ The purple Pokémon flew at full speed and tackled Flaaffy.

"You're okay, Flaaffy! Use SignalBeam!"

"Gligar, use Sky Uppercut!"

Gligar's claw-like fists began to glow a light blue as he dodged Flaaffy's SignalBeam and punched.

The wool Pokémon skidded backwards from the impact before trying to steady her feet. "Flaaffy, use… um. Shit." Quinn tried to think of a move that would be effective against the ground part of Gligar.

"Use X-Scissor, Gligar!" His fists once again glowed a light blue as he slashed at the opponent in an X shape.

The blonde cried out as Flaaffy was knocked to the ground.

Wes laughed along with the rest of the boys while Trent spoke up, "Flaaffy is unable to battle!

Rachel narrowed her eyes at them. "If you want to laugh at something so badly, just come over here and I'll make your face even funnier than it is!" She yelled as she cracked her knuckles.

"Um, Rach." Puck nodded to Quinn who had her head down as she called back Flaaffy.

Rachel gasped. "It's okay, Quinn! You're doing great!"

Wes scoffed. "Oh, please—"

"Boy, I am not playing with you!" Rachel warned. "Open your mouth one more time! See what happens!" She shook a fist in the air.

Puck gawked at her while the guys stared in fear.

Quinn continued to hang her head low as she mauled over her options.

"If challenger Quinn does not release a Pokémon, she will be forced to forfeit—" Trent winced at Rachel's glare. "It-it's the rules…" He stuttered out and retreated back to the sidelines.

"Come on, Quinn! Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter! Don't let them bring around a cloud to _rain_ on your parade!"

Quinn's eyes widened. She hesitantly reached for a pokéball before whipping around to face the brunette. Rachel nodded emphatically. Quinn smirked and turned back to the battle.

Blaine smiled. This Rachel girl had a lovely voice and a wonderful taste in musicals.

"Go, Dratini!"

"_Tini!"_

"Gligar, use Fury Cutter!"

"Use Rain Dance, Dratini!"

Storm clouds started to form over the battlefield as the orb in the middle of Dratini's head shined brightly. Rain poured from the clouds and onto Gligar before he could attack. His wings became waterlogged while the ground part of him was effected by the downpour.

"Now use Dragon Tail, Dratini!"

The blue Pokémon's tail started to glow as he swung it back and impaled Gligar with it. Blaine's Pokémon fell over from the attack and collapsed.

A collective gasp was heard throughout the gym as the storm clouds dissipated and the rain cleared up. Blaine took out Gligar's pokéball and called him back. "You were so courageous out there, Gligar."

"Yay Quinn!" Rachel bounced up and down in excitement.

"Impossible!" One of the young men yelled.

"No way!" Wes called out. "I can't believe it!"

Rachel stopped her movements and put her hands on her hips. "_Yes _way! And now that she already beat one, you can bet your blazer wearing ass she's going to take down the rest!"

"Calm down." Puck snorted and put a hand on Rachel's shoulder. He called out to the blonde, "You're doing great, Q!"

Quinn had a goofy grin on her face at her friends' words.

Blaine chuckled. "Nice job, Quinn. Now let's see if what your friend said was true about taking down the rest. Go, Doduo!"

"_Doduo!"_

Puck took out his pokédex and pointed it at the brown bird Pokémon with two heads.

"**Doduo: The Two Bird Pokémon. By alternately raising and lowering its two heads, it balances itself to be more stable while running. It can run at a pace of over 60 miles per hour. It makes up in running what it can't do in flight."**

"Return, Dratini!" Quinn held out the pokéball and retrieved the dragon Pokémon.

"Ha! Giving up already, hmm?" Wes mocked.

Quinn narrowed her eyes. "Go, Umbreon!"

The moonlight Pokémon howled as she was released from her ball.

A red light shot out of a pokéball attached to Rachel's belt loop.

"_Espeon!"_

"Elphaba? What are you doing out?" Rachel inquired.

Espeon sat on her hind legs and swayed her tail as she watched the battlefield.

"Oh, I bet you wanna see Umbreon kick some ass!"

Umbreon straightened her stance and gazed determinedly at Doduo when she heard Espeon.

"Use Peck, Doduo!"

"Dodge it, Umbreon!" The dark type Pokémon jumped over one of Doduo's heads as they attempted to peck at her. "Use Pursuit!"

"_Bre!"_ Umbreon launched herself at Doduo and slammed into their body. The bird Pokémon cried out as they accidentally knocked their heads together from the impact.

"Come on, Doduo! Use Double Hit!"

"Use Taunt, Umbreon!" The dark type Pokémon wagged her tail tauntingly at the bird Pokémon.

Doduo squawked in anger before they both moved to attack and once again bumped heads.

"No, Doduo! Don't attack each other!" Blaine shouted helplessly as both heads started to peck at each other.

"Finish with Shadow Ball!"

A black and purple sphere started to form in front of Umbreon. She shot it out towards the fighting duo and they collapsed from the hit.

There was silence as Blaine called back Doduo before Wes threw his hands up in rage. "No! It can't be!"

Trent awkwardly raised a flag. "Doduo is unable to battle."

Rachel put her hand on her forehead in the shape of an L and mocked the group of boys while Espeon swayed her tail excitedly.

"Great job, Umbreon!" Quinn cheered.

"Yes, great job!" Blaine said. "I've never had a battle quite like this before!"

The blonde raised an eyebrow at the jolly gym leader.

"I saved my strongest for last. Are you ready for this, Quinn? Go, Pavarotti!"

"_Xatu!"_

Quinn's eyes widened at the green bird Pokémon.

"You look surprised." Blaine noted and crossed his arms. "My older brother gave me this Pokémon when I was just a little kid and Pavarotti was just a little Natu." He smiled and got a faraway look in his eyes. "He also has a Xatu."

"I swear, this seems so familiar." Quinn murmured to herself. Her eyes widened as she was hit with a random memory.

"_Oh, no! Here come the Decepticons!" _

"_It's Megatron!"_

"_We're going to have to call in for aerial backup! Go, Xatu!"_

She shook herself out of her reverie and stared at the boy in front of her. "Why do you look so familiar," she muttered.

Blaine refocused on the battle at hand. "Did you say something, Quinn?"

"What? Oh, no." She flushed as some of the boys gave her pompous looks. "Let's get the show on the road!"

"Use Wing Attack, Pavarotti!"

"Not taking any punches, are ya, Blaine? Use Faint Attack, Umbreon!"

The moonlight Pokémon ran at full force as the bird's wings glowed white and attempted to strike her. Umbreon faked a left and dodged Wing Attack before she ran to the right and tackled Xatu.

"_Tu!"_ Xatu crowed out as he was hit.

"Use Aeriel Ace, Pavarotti!"

The green bird flew at Umbreon in a streak of white and tackled her back.

"Try to shake it off, Umbreon!"

"_Bre!"_ She whimpered as Xatu continued his onslaught.

"Now use Fly, Pavarotti!"

Xatu picked up Umbreon and flew into the air. He slowly circled around the room until he picked up speed. Once he was going fast enough, he threw her and she went tumbling to the ground.

The blonde gasped as her Pokémon hit the floor.

Espeon tried to run into the field but Rachel held her back.

"Umbreon is unable to ba—"

"Wait!" The gym leader called out.

Everyone watched with bated breath as Umbreon shakily stood back up.

Blaine raised an impressed eyebrow. "The battle continues!"

Quinn stared in disbelief before cheering her Pokémon on. "You can do this, Umbreon! I believe in you!"

"_Espeon!"_

Umbreon glanced off to the side to see the purple psychic Pokémon staring at her with a supportive gaze. She glanced back at her opponent and nodded to herself.

Quinn formed a small smile as she watched the exchange. "All right! Let's do this!"

"Pavarotti, use Night Shade!"

"Use Double Team, Umbreon!"

Xatu stared in confusion as the moonlight Pokémon created multiple decoys of herself.

"Try to hit them all, Pavarotti!"

"_Xatu!"_ Xatu's eyes glowed and he attacked each illusionary copy.

Quinn held her breath as the green psychic Pokémon slashed through the images. Right as he was about to attack the real Umbreon, she called it. "Shadow Ball!"

Umbreon shot out the purple and black sphere right onto Xatu.

Blaine's eyes widened as he watched the Pokémon his brother gave him before going away finally be defeated.

The room was in an uproar when the gym leader called back Xatu into his pokéball.

"This is an outrage!"

"There's no way blondie could—"

"Yay! You did it Quinn!" Rachel yelled excitedly.

Blaine held up a hand to silence everyone as he walked towards the blonde. "In honor of your courageous Pokémon battling, I give you the CourageBadge!"

Quinn grabbed the badge and grinned at it. She looked up to thank Blaine when her smile faltered at the intense look he was giving her. He glanced at the sidelines and she followed his gaze to a beaming Rachel.

"Courage."

Quinn raised an eyebrow in confusion.

He gave another unsubtle glance towards the brunette and stated again, "Courage."

"Um, yeah. Okay. Thanks…" She trailed off and walked briskly to the sidelines.

Can't she battle a normal gym leader for once?

She was cut off from her thoughts by her friends.

"You did it!" Rachel exclaimed as she latched onto the blonde.

"Hell yeah, Q! Ya kicked pyramid-brows' ass!" Puck yelled while squeezing himself into the hug.

"Are you okay, Blaine?"

"Do you want us all to battle her?"

"Yeah! That'll teach her a lesson!"

"No, no! You guys. She beat me fair and square!"

"But—"

"No. Besides, that was the most fun gym battle I've had in a while!"

"You can't be serious…" Wes trailed off in disbelief.

Rachel extracted herself from the hug and stuck her tongue out at the boys.

Blaine chuckled at her antics before addressing Quinn. "Thank you for the battle, Quinn! I hope we cross paths again!"

"Same here!"

"Oh, and remember!" He called out as they were walking towards the exit. "Courage!"

Quinn sighed before giving a tight smile. "Yeah, sure!"

"Come on, Elphaba! Umbreon!" Rachel beckoned from the door.

Espeon had just finished using her psychic abilities to heal most of Umbreon's injuries before she nodded to their humans. The moonlight Pokémon quirked her head to the side but walked up to Quinn regardless.

"Elphaba!" Rachel called again.

The psychic type Pokémon trotted up to the group of boys.

"Huh?" Wes looked down. "What do you want—Ouch! Holy shit! It bit me!"

Quinn's mouth dropped open in shock while Puck couldn't contain his laughter.

Rachel had a hand covering her mouth in disbelief and went to reprimand her Pokémon before Wes' words caught up to her. "Wait, _it_? Excuse you, but Elphaba is a girl! That does it, bite him again!"

"Elphaba, return!" Quinn called out after she grabbed the pokéball from Rachel's belt loop.

Rachel gasped. "Quinn, that was uncalled for!"

The blonde ignored her and called back her Umbreon as well. "Let's get out of here."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Oh, he'll be fine—"

"I think I'm bleeding!"

She narrowed her eyes at the boy. "Oh, don't be such a cry baby! You want blood? I'll give you blood!"

Puck and Quinn grabbed her by the arms and dragged her out the doors.

"Hey, Q." The boy called over Rachel's struggling form.

"Yeah?"

"Is it just me, or does it seem like we're always having to run outta these places?"

Rachel freed herself from their grasp and climbed down the rope ladder with a huff.

"It's not just you, Puck. It's not just you."

* * *

**A/N:** While I'm only using Pokémon from the first two generations, I totally modeled this town after Fortree City from Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald. :p

Oh, and thank you **Kitaoji Sora** for suggesting a Hoothoot for Rachel!

Please leave your thoughts in a review or tell me on chelsko. tumblr. com (without the spaces)! :)


	8. Chapter 6a

**Disclaimer:** Glee is not mine, and the only Pokémon I own are in my video games. The title of this fic is from the Offspring song of the same name. The songs Rachel sings in this chapter are Good Morning from Singin' in the Rain and Dear Prudence by the Beatles.

* * *

"Check it out!" Puck yelled as he ran towards the two girls setting up a campsite with Hoothoot and Dratini trailing after him.

Quinn stretched up from her spot on the ground where she was making a mini fire pit. It had been a few days since they hightailed it out of Blaine's gym; according to Rachel and her map, they had a ways to go before their next destination.

The brunette in question was off somewhere with Bayleef looking for wood while Quinn, Quilava, and Geodude set up the fire pit.

"_Dude! Geodude!"_ Puck's rock type Pokémon threw an arm back and smashed a medium sized boulder. Small pieces of rock scattered around before he picked them up in his big arms and brought them to Quinn. She smiled at Geodude and motioned to the almost finished circle of rocks they had already made._ "Geo!"_ One by one, he set the rocks in his arms down to finish the fire pit.

"You guys!" Puck whined once he realized no one was paying attention to him.

"We got wood for the fire!" Rachel beamed as she and Bayleef returned.

Quinn's lips twitched at the sight. Rachel had an overload of branches in her arms to the point where they almost toppled out of her grasp. Bayleef followed after his trainer with his vines dragging along some logs. "Great. Just set them next to the pit and we can have Quilava get the fire started once Geodude's done."

"_Quilava!"_ The flames on the fire type Pokémon's back shot out in reply.

"You guys!"

"_Pi-Pikachu!"_

"_Flaaffy!"_

"Awe," Rachel gushed as she watched the two electric Pokémon give chase to each other around the campsite.

Quinn smiled at the sight before looking around. Her eyes landed on Espeon and Umbreon napping under a tree and she smiled even wider.

"Hey!"

She rolled her eyes before turning to the boy. "What? Did you find water?"

"Yes, but…"

Rachel dropped the branches by the pit and turned around with a hand on her hip. "What do you mean 'but'? You and Totodile were supposed to go find us water! I even had Nessie go with you in order to aid you from an aerial perspective!"

"_Hoot!"_ The tiny brown Pokémon flapped her wings over to her trainer and landed on her shoulder.

Rachel stroked Hoothoot's feathers as she leveled Puck with a look.

"And I let you borrow Dratini." Quinn said as the little blue Pokémon slithered towards her. She knelt down and patted his head before standing back up.

"Hey, where _is_ Totodile?" Rachel wondered.

Puck slapped his forehead in frustration. "If you two would shut up!"

"Rude!"

He ignored Rachel as he brought out a pokéball and threw it.

"_Croconaw!"_

"Whoa." Quinn whispered as the slightly larger evolved form of Totodile shot out of the ball. She took out her pokédex and pointed to her.

"**Croconaw: The Big Jaw Pokémon. Once Croconaw has clamped its jaws on its foe, it will absolutely not let go. Because the tips of its fangs are forked back like barbed fishhooks, they become irremovably embedded."**

"That sounds brutal." Rachel stated.

"Yep!" Puck beamed proudly next to his newly evolved Pokémon. "We were looking for water and next thing I know, she's hauling ass through the trees. We chased her to this stream not too far from here and she just dived in as Totodile and bam!" Puck slapped his hands together. "The water started glowing and she jumped out as Croconaw!"

"Hey, wait!" Rachel pointed a finger at him. "So you _did_ get us water?"

He sighed at her lack of enthusiasm before nodding. He shrugged off his backpack to open it and show her the filled bottles and canteens. "I don't know why we don't just use Croconaw for water—"

"Noah Puckerman!" Rachel reprimanded. "While I love Totod—I mean, Croconaw, that water comes out of her mouth and I am not drinking backwash!" She crossed her arms.

"Oh, whatever. You would if we were dying of thirst."

"Well, it's a good thing we're not then, huh?" Rachel turned towards Bayleef. "Come on, Mr. Arnstein. Let's battle Puck's newly evolved Croconaw!"

"_Leef!"_

Puck perked up. "Really?"

Quinn shook her head in amusement and walked over to him to grab his backpack.

Umbreon blinked an eye open at her trainer before glaring at the commotion the other two were causing. She huffed and curled up next to Espeon.

"How are we gonna do this, Rach?" Puck asked excitedly.

The brunette glanced around the campsite. She smiled at the two sleeping Pokémon under the tree before her eyes landed on the others. Hoothoot had flown to a branch above the dark and psychic Pokémon, while Dratini set himself next to Flaaffy and Pikachu who were watching the humans with interest. She looked to Quinn to see her, Quilava, and Geodude who were now attempting to pile the wood in the fire pit.

"Everyone else is either resting or working, so…" she drawled as she motioned for Bayleef to step closer, "we'll have a one-on-one battle!"

"Sweet! Alright, let's do this, Croconaw! Use Water Gun!"

"_Croconaw!"_ The blue Pokémon shot out a spiral of water from her mouth.

"Okay, Quilava, we just want a small flame to get the fire going. Use Ember." Quinn instructed.

"_Quil!"_ The flames on his back flared as he prepared to ignite the wood.

"Dodge it, Mr. Arnstein!"

Bayleef ran to the left and avoided the attack.

"_Quilava! Quil!"_

"_Geodude!"_

"Wha—Hey!" Quinn wiped at her face after the water attack missed Bayleef and hit the three of them. She stood up and glared.

Rachel slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her nervous giggle while Puck sheepishly rubbed his mohawk.

"You two." Quinn jabbed a finger in the direction away from the fire. "Over there. Now."

The two scrambled away from the blonde to continue their battle unscathed.

Quinn sighed before reaching into Rachel's seemingly never ending backpack and pulled out a few towels. She bent down to wipe off Geodude and to dry Quilava before attempting the fire again.

Once a safe distance away from Quinn, Puck called out an attack. "Use Bite!"

Croconaw's giant jaw snapped open as she charged at Bayleef.

"Nicky, use Vine Whip to close her mouth!" Green vines shot out from Bayleef and wrapped around the water Pokémon's mouth.

"Use Thrash, Croconaw!" The water Pokémon grabbed onto the vines and thrashed from side to side in an attempt to loosen the grip.

"Okay, Quilava. Let's try this again."

Quilava opened his mouth to shoot out a small flame.

"Great!" Quinn beamed as the wood slowly ignited.

"Razor Leaf!"

"_Leef!"_ Sharp leaves flew off from Bayleef towards Croconaw.

The water Pokémon finally broke free from the vines and dodged the onslaught of leaves.

Quinn's eyes widened as the attack missed Croconaw and shot towards them. She jumped out of the way as Geodude dug himself in the ground to avoid the attack.

"_Quilava!"_ Quilava scrambled backwards as the leaves were sucked in the flames in the pit and ignited into a scorching fire.

Quinn picked herself up from the ground and dusted her clothes off. She narrowed her eyes at the giant fire before turning to glare at the two battlers.

Rachel squeaked.

"Um, at least we got the fire started?" Puck offered with a shrug.

Quinn's nostrils flared and she thrust out her hand and pointed.

"Yeah, yeah, over there…" Puck mumbled as they walked further away from the campsite to continue the battle.

Quinn huffed and turned back to the fire. "Great," she muttered as she surveyed the flames, "now we just gotta get this thing under control. Come on out, Geodude!"

The rock type Pokémon tentatively burrowed his way out of the ground.

"Can you help me out here?"

"_Dude!"_ Geodude threw some dirt on the fire to calm it down.

"Finally." Quinn sighed once the flames were at a normal level. She turned around and shook her head at the destruction her friends were causing.

"Croconaw, use Slash!" Croconaw ran at Bayleef with her claws out and ready to attack.

"Use Body Slam!" The green leaf Pokémon reared up on his hind legs before charging at Croconaw. He dodged the slash attack with a jump and slammed his body down on her.

"Push him off, Croconaw!" Puck encouraged as Croconaw attempted to shove the grass Pokémon off herself. "You can do it! You're a strong independent water type Pokémon that don't need no man! Show Nicky Arnstein what's up!"

"_Croconaw!"_ She put all her strength into one push and finally got Bayleef off of her.

"Yes!"

Rachel crossed her arms. "Use SolarBeam!"

Puck's eyes widened. "Use…" He trailed off as the leaves around Bayleef's neck started to glow white. He snapped his fingers. "Use Hydro Pump!"

"_Croconaw!"_

"_Bay…..Leeeeef!"_

A powerful jet of water blasted from Croconaw's mouth the same time Bayleef fired out a white beam.

Quinn sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as the two attacks collided. She turned to the rest of her and her friends' Pokémon. "Who's hungry?"

"_Hoot!"_

"_Dude!"_

"_Quilava!"_

"_Tini!"_

"_Pika!"_

"_Flaaffy!"_

"_Espeon!"_

"_Bre!"_

A small explosion sounded from behind her.

Hazel eyes twitched as she dug out the pokéfood and willed herself to not turn around. Joyful responses came from the Pokémon once she laid the food down for them. She rolled her eyes when she heard footsteps gradually come closer.

"I think we tied." Rachel groaned once they made it back to the campsite.

"Yep." Puck replied as he flopped down on the ground next to his eating Pokémon. He dug through his bag and grabbed two potions before tossing one to the brunette.

Rachel caught it and they both healed their Pokémon. "There, good as new!" She beamed at Bayleef.

"Here." Quinn threw the bag of pokéfood at Puck's head. "Feed Bayleef and Croconaw."

The boy grumbled as he gave them their food.

Rachel hesitantly regarded Quinn. "The fire turned out nice—" She clamped her mouth shut at the blonde's look and ducked her head. It was silent aside from the sounds of the Pokémon munching on their food.

Quinn sighed at her friend's downtrodden expression and sat next to her. "You know…" she trailed off to get her attention. Rachel slowly met her eyes and Quinn gave her a small smile. "I actually think you won that Pokémon battle."

"Hey!" Puck yelled out in protest while Rachel giggled and scooted closer to the blonde.

"This is ridiculous." Santana deadpanned as she surveyed the giant tent the team was constructing.

Dave turned to her. "Yeah, I don't see why we don't just steal the money."

Santana sighed. "That would've been too easy for Sylvester; she has to make every damn thing complicated."

"Lopez! Karofsky!"

The two stood about face as Dustin Gooslby walked to them with bags in his hands. "You're assigned to help with the main event." He thrust the bags into Dave's hands before marching off to yell at a grunt.

Santana grabbed the bags from him and cursed when she saw what was in them. "Damn it! I told F that sequins were a no-no!"

Dave snorted when she pulled out the sequined object.

She glared at him before smirking. "Oh, hey, here's another one. Looks like you'll be wearing one as well, D."

He abruptly stopped laughing. "Damn it."

* * *

"_Goooooood morning, good morning! We've talked the whole night through! Good morning, good morning to—"_

"Shut up!" Puck growled into his sleeping bag as Rachel belted out into song. He buried his face in his arms with a groan when Nessie started hooting along to the singing.

Rachel gasped and put her hands on her hips. "Noah Puckerman, do not tell me to shut up!"

"How about both of you shut up?" Quinn grumbled as she popped open an eye to sleepily glare at them.

Rachel turned to the blonde and huffed when she saw her curl back up into her sleeping bag. "Quinn! Come on, get up! It's such a gorgeous day; the sun is up and the sky is blue!"

Quinn closed her eyes and faked a snore.

Puck barked out a laugh as he sat up and stretched.

Rachel pouted before a thought struck her. She walked over to the blonde's lying form. _"Dear Quinnie, won't you come out to play?_"

Quinn rolled her eyes to herself and continued to pretend to sleep.

Rachel knelt down next to her and poked her side._ "Dear Quinnie, greet the brand new day!"_

Puck shook his head in amusement and stood to roll his sleeping bag back up. He eyed Croconaw's pokéball and smirked.

"_The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you. Dear Quinnie—"_

"Okay! I'm up! I'm up!" Quinn giggled and swatted Rachel's tickling hand away from her side.

"Water Gun!"

"_Croconaw!"_ The Big Jaw Pokémon opened her mouth and blasted a jet of water towards the blonde.

Rachel squeaked and quickly stood up out of the way.

Quinn's mouth hung open in shock.

"Good morning!" Puck smirked at her.

She blinked in disbelief before exhaling a shaky breath. "You…" She shook the water off her face and jumped up. "You asshole!"

"What? You weren't getting up! It was just a little wakeup call—Ouch!" Puck rubbed his head at the forceful slap from Rachel.

The brunette stomped over to her backpack and retrieved a towel for the blonde.

Quinn murmured her thanks before glaring at the boy. "You better watch yourself, Puckerman. I'm gonna get you back."

Puck stopped laughing.

Maybe he shouldn't have pulled a prank on Q so early in the morning.

His eyes widened at the smirk that formed on her face and he gulped.

Or maybe he shouldn't have pulled a prank on Q at all.

* * *

"Finally!" Quinn yelled as the bustling city came into sight.

Rachel looked up from her map. "I think we made good time."

Puck rubbed his hands together in excitement. "What are we gonna do first? Gym battle?" He looked to the side and pointed, "Or, oh! Check out that building! Holy shit, it's a buffet!"

"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm heading straight for the Pokémon Center to get a room and take a nice long, hot bath."

Rachel nodded. "Yes, we _have_ been traveling for quite some time."

"Awe, come on! But what about—Oh! Hey! Look at that!"

The two turned to a gigantic striped tent taking up refuge a few sidewalks down.

"Is…" The brunette blinked. "Is that the circus?"

"Come one, come all! Experience amazing sights we guarantee you've never experienced before! Watch the acrobatic and charismatic Lovely Lady Lopez flip, flop, and fly amongst the crowds! See an incredible Machoke lift things double-no, _triple _its size! You don't believe me, folks? Then step right in! You'll see Dazzling David and the fiery flames of his fire type Pokémon! And that's not even half of it folks!"

* * *

Karofsky's eye twitched as he heard the grunt's loud voice through the tent while he and Santana gathered money from the entering customers. "Dazzling David?" He muttered out of the side of his mouth to her.

She snickered. "Do you like it? I wrote the spiel myself." He sighed and she just smirked. "It was either that or Kinky Karofsky."

He glared at her while the woman in front of him was busy looking through her purse.

"Here you go, young man!" She handed him the money. "That seems quite a lot for an entry fee."

"Oh, but it's worth it, ma'am. Ringmaster Ghoul's circus is only in the city for three days. It's the show of the century and one you do not want to miss!" He forced a smile while he mentally rolled his eyes.

The woman brightened up. "Well in that case, I'm sure it will be worth every penny!"

"Oh, it will!" Santana mocked the oblivious customer.

Dave elbowed his coworker in the side once there was a lapse in the line.

Santana punched him in the shoulder and laughed. "Come on, Kinky Karofsky; let's get a grunt to take over so we can get ready for the show. We can't keep the crowd waiting too long for the Lovely Lady Lopez, can we?"

"I thought you didn't want any part in this?"

"What can I say? I love an audience."

* * *

Puck's eyes widened as they listened to the young man talk about the circus. He grabbed a flyer out of a random person's hands and lit up in excitement.

"Sorry!" Rachel apologized on her friend's behalf but the person just glared and walked away. She sighed and flicked Puck in the ear. "That was rude, Noah! We do not just take things from—"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever! Check this out! '_Ringmaster Ghoul's Traveling Circus!'_ We have to go!"

"No."

"What? Why? It says it's only gonna be here for three days!"

"Pokémon shouldn't be kept as side acts for some… some freak show!" Rachel crossed her arms defiantly.

Puck rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on!" He turned to Quinn. "Talk some sense into her!"

The blonde held her hands up in surrender. "Hey, don't drag me into this. I just want to get to a Pokémon Center and relax for the night."

Rachel smirked triumphantly.

"But…" Puck trailed off.

"Let's just check in and we can figure out what to do after I battle the gym leader tomorrow, okay? Now let's go, Rach! You too, Stinkerman!"

Puck sighed and nodded.

They made it to the doors of the Pokémon Center when he finally realized what she said. "Hey! I don't stink!"

* * *

"I wonder what this gym leader is like," Puck spoke when they left the Pokémon center the next day.

"I've done extensive research on all of the region's gym leaders." Rachel pulled out a notebook from her backpack.

"Damn, how much stuff do you have in there?"

The brunette waved Puck off before flipping through the pages. "Ah ha! Here we go." Her two friends crowded around her to peer inside the notebook. "You've already obtained the SkankBadge, the StepBadge, the CourageBadge, and next is…" She trailed her finger down the page with a contemplative look. "Huh. I wonder why it's called _that._"

Quinn shrugged and continued walking. "If there's one thing I've learned so far on this journey, it's to not question these leaders' insane logic."

Puck laughed. "That's very _courageous_ of you, Q."

"Yes, that's quite a _step_ you're taking." Rachel giggled.

Quinn shook her head before stopping outside of the gym. She took a deep breath and opened the doors. Her eyes widened at the sight.

"Holy shit." Puck said in awe.

Rachel brought a hand over her mouth. "Oh my Ho-Oh."

In the middle of the field stood a large bull Pokémon charging at who appeared to be the gym leader.

The young woman let out a battle cry and grasped the Pokémon by the horns and held her ground.

Quinn shakily brought out her pokédex and pointed it at the scene.

"**Tauros: The Wild Bull Pokémon. Tauros is not satisfied unless it is rampaging at all times. If there is no opponent for Tauros to battle, it will charge at thick trees and knock them down to calm itself. Although powerful, it can charge only in a straight line."**

"Only in a straight line…" Rachel murmured to herself.

The gym leader's attention was brought to the three standing by the doorway. Her grip slackened from Tauros' horns. "That's enough training for now, Tauros. It seems we have a challenger."

The blonde's mouth hung open. "Training?"

The gym leader chuckled as she made her way over. "We have to make sure all of our strength is in tip-top shape in this gym." She thrust out a hand. "Zizes. Lauren Zizes."

Quinn weakly shook her hand and grimaced at the tight grip the gym leader had. "Q-Quinn."

Lauren turned to Puck with a smirk. "And who is _this?_"

He looked from side to side before pointing at himself in disbelief. He gulped when she nodded. "Puck."

"And I'm Rachel!"

Lauren appraised the three of them. "And who will I be beating today?"

Puck put a hand on Rachel's shoulder when she scoffed.

Quinn cautiously stepped forward. "You'll be battling me."

The gym leader sized her up before pointing over her shoulder to the battlefield. "Let's go, twiggy."

Rachel grabbed Quinn's arm before she could go further. "You can do this, Q. She's just trying to intimidate you. Unlike her, your battle tactics don't rely on fear and brute force."

Quinn gave a determined nod and scurried to her side of the field.

"Standard Pokémon rules; _if_ you beat me, you get the ZizesBadge."

"…ZizesBadge?" Puck smirked in amusement.

"You got a problem with that? My gym; my name." Lauren eyed him before turning to Quinn. "He's cute. Is he your boyfriend?"

"Absolutely not!"

Quinn blushed at Rachel's outburst.

Lauren smirked. "Well then, let's have a little bet, hmm? If I win, I get Seven Minutes in Heaven."

Quinn's face twisted in shock.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself, twiggy. I'm talking about him."

"Wait, what?" Puck asked in confusion.

Rachel sighed in relief.

The blonde nodded. "And if I win?"

"You get the gym badge."

"But she'd get it even if you weren't making this wager!" The petite brunette huffed.

"Fine. If you win, you get the badge and dinner's on me."

"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?" Puck grumbled.

"Shut up." All three girls spoke at the same time.

Lauren kept her eyes locked on hazel before rolling them in exasperation. "That giant building you most likely saw right as you entered the city?" Quinn nodded. "That's my dad's restaurant. Five star dining that will be absolutely free if you win."

"Deal."

Puck groaned.

The gym leader smirked and motioned for Tauros to enter the field.

Quinn remembered what the pokédex said and pulled out a pokéball. "Go, Quilava!"

"_Quil!"_

"Tauros, use Take Down!"

"Use Rollout, Quilava!" The fire type Pokémon curled himself into a ball and rolled towards Tauros at an incredible speed.

The bull Pokémon scuffed his hooves against the ground before charging in a straight line at Quilava. Quilava rolled to the side before whirling around and coming back towards Tauros. He increased his speed and slammed his body into the bull.

"Horn Attack!" Tauros steadied his feet and ran at the opponent with his head lowered.

"Continue with Rollout!" Quilava scrambled back into a ball and narrowly missed the attack. He continued to roll around the gym and dodge Tauros with ease.

"That does it. Use Rage!" Tauros abruptly came to a halt and started to glow red. His left eye twitched as he locked onto Quilava before letting out a snarl and charging.

Quinn's eyes widened. "Use Flame Wheel!"

Quilava's body became engulfed in flames as he jumped into the air. He rolled himself back into a ball and hurdled down towards the raging bull Pokémon with a fiery slam.

Lauren gasped as Tauros went down.

"It looks like Tauros is unable to battle!" Rachel stated smugly.

Lauren scoffed and called back her Pokémon to his ball. "Pure luck. Go, Lickitung!"

"What in the world…" Puck pulled out his pokédex and pointed it to the large pink Pokémon with an even larger tongue.

"**Lickitung: The Licking Pokémon. Lickitung's tongue is over six feet in length. Whenever it comes across something new, it will unfailingly give it a lick. It does so because it memorizes things by texture and by taste. Its lick can cause paralysis."**

"_Licki!"_ Lickitung shot out his tongue and gave Quilava's face a curious lick.

"_Lava!"_ The blue fire type Pokémon cried out as he suddenly loss the ability to move.

"Shit." Quinn muttered.

* * *

"Lady Lopez!"

"Yes, Mr. Goolsby?" The older man narrowed his eyes at her. She rolled hers in exasperation before addressing him again. "I mean, Ringmaster Ghoul?"

"While the reception from our first night was great, someone made a complaint."

"About what?"

"You."

Santana crossed her arms. "What about me? My act was flawless! I could be a cheerleader with those moves!"

Dustin nodded. "Yes, but your headline says you're Lady Lopez who flips, flops, and flies amongst the crowd. You only flipped and flopped last night."

Santana grimaced and hoped he wasn't going to say what she thought he would.

He handed her a pokéball. "We're going to make you fly."

Of course she was wrong.

Dave overheard the conversation and walked over to them. "But wouldn't a bird Pokémon take away from the act?"

Dustin nodded to the ball. "Open it."

"But—"

"Open it."

Santana internally scoffed and released the Pokémon.

Dustin smirked when her eyebrows rose up. "There won't be anything to take away from the act if there's nothing to see." He called over his shoulder as he marched away, "Now you better start practicing; I want this to be perfect for tonight's show."

Santana nodded dumbly as she stared at the black sphere of ghostly matter surrounded by a purple glow.

Dave whistled. "I hope this thing knows what it's doing."

The Pokémon flickered before turning invisible with a cry of its name.

"_Gastly!"_

* * *

"Use Slam!"

"_Tung!"_ The pink Pokémon slammed himself onto the paralyzed Quilava.

"Quilava!" Quinn called out in worry.

The blue Pokémon struggled before sluggishly igniting a low flame on his back. Lickitung jumped off Quilava to get away from the fire.

"Yes, you can do it!" Quinn desperately encouraged as Quilava slowly stood up on shaky paws.

"Use Stomp, Lickitung!"

Lickitung stopped rubbing at his burn and ran towards Quilava. He lifted a leg to stomp but wasn't quick enough; the fire type Pokémon regained the feeling in his body and jumped to the side.

"Use Flame Wheel once more!" Quilava rolled himself into a fiery ball and hurdled towards Lickitung.

Lauren scowled. "Not again!"

"Yes again!" Rachel cheered when the pink Pokémon was unable to battle.

Quilava stopped rolling and collapsed next to his trainer. Quinn gasped and knelt down to him. "You were amazing out there," she murmured. She stroked his blue fur before returning him back to his pokéball. "Get some rest; you deserve it."

Lauren's scowl turned into a smirk. "Speaking of rest…" She pulled out her last pokéball and threw it; a red light shot out to reveal a gigantic blue sleeping Pokémon.

Quinn stood up in shock and a little bit of fright as Puck once again took out his pokédex.

"**Snorlax: The Sleeping Pokémon. Snorlax's typical day consists of nothing more than eating and sleeping. This Pokémon's stomach is so strong, even eating moldy or rotten food will not affect it."**

"Eating and sleeping? That's not too bad." Quinn laughed in relief before throwing her pokéball. "Go, Umbreon!"

"_Bre!"_

Lauren gave a sly smile and reached into her pocket for a small bag. She opened it to pull out slices of apple and toss them onto the field.

"What the…?" Puck questioned.

"Oh, no." Rachel nervously wrung her hands together as she realized what was about to happen.

"_Snor?"_ The large Pokémon opened up an eye as he sniffed the air. He stood up to his full height to survey his surroundings. He lit up when he saw the apple slices and charged towards them.

"Holy Ho-Oh on a cracker!" Puck hollered when the gigantic Pokémon gobbled up the fruit.

Quinn gulped. "I-it's okay, Umbreon. We can do this."

The moonlight Pokémon turned to her trainer and snorted in disagreement. Her ears twitched when she sensed movement and she looked up to see Snorlax staring down at her. She wagged her tail nervously.

"Use Body Slam, Snorlax." Snorlax let out a roar before falling forward.

Umbreon yipped and scuttled out of the way.

"Use Quick Attack, Umbreon!" The dark type Pokémon ran at full speed to tackle Snorlax but ended up bouncing off his stomach. "You're okay! Use Faint Attack!"

Lauren laughed. "Use Block, Snorlax." The large blue Pokémon grabbed Umbreon after she faked a left and ran to the right. She cried out after attempting to squirm out of his grasp. "Now use Headbutt!" He brought his large forehead down and smashed his against Umbreon's.

"_Espeon!"_ The psychic Pokémon once again shot out of Rachel's pokéball. She watched the battle anxiously as the Pokémon she met at that horrible store back when they were both Eevees took a beating.

"Use Pursuit!" The blonde yelled out helplessly.

Umbreon closed her eyes as Snorlax reeled back to bash heads again. She bolted in a black light and collided into his face right before he could use Headbutt again. He stumbled backwards and she jumped out of his grasp.

"Yes!" Quinn called out in triumph. Her celebration was cut short when Snorlax simply shook his head and regained his balance.

Lauren crossed her arms. "You size two teenage dreams are all the same; always judging books by their covers because you were born pretty and with a silver spoon in your mouth. Snorlax, use Body Slam one more time!"

Everything seemed to go in slow motion for Quinn as she watched Snorlax jump in the air.

"_Hey, look! It's Lucy Caboosey!"_

"_She's not a girl; she's more like a Snorlax!"_

Quinn shook her head and cried out in frustration. "You don't know anything about me, Lauren. Anything! But you know what? You're about to." She glared daggers at the gym leader as Snorlax descended downwards. "Because it just got personal. Umbreon, use Last Resort!"

The moonlight Pokémon's eyes glowed white as she let out a howl. She gathered the rest of her strength to jump above Snorlax in the air and push her front paws on him. She gave a shove and slammed him into the ground.

The noise echoed around the gym as the smoke from the impact cleared.

Umbreon staggered off the knocked out Snorlax and limped her way to her trainer. She held her head up and stood in victory next to Quinn.

All was silent while Lauren blinked in disbelief. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She returned Snorlax to his pokéball before making her way to the blonde.

Quinn stood with a hard look on her face when Lauren stopped in front of her.

The gym leader smirked and held out her hand. "You know what? You're not too bad."

Rachel sighed in relief as she watched Quinn slowly smile and shake her hand.

"The Zizes just got Zizes'd." She remarked in awe before pulling out the gym badge to hand to Quinn.

The blonde smiled wider and grabbed the item. Espeon ran from the sidelines to heal Umbreon while Rachel and Puck followed to congratulate their friend.

"I'm so proud of you!" Rachel beamed and hugged the blonde.

Quinn tightly returned the embrace.

Lauren cleared her throat. "I guess this means dinner's on me, huh?"

Quinn let go of Rachel to turn to the gym leader with a laugh. "You bet it is," she remarked before noticing Lauren wasn't even looking at her. She followed her gaze and saw Puck on his knees and petting Umbreon. Quinn scrunched up her face in thought and then slyly smiled. "But how about this? Rachel and I go to the Pokémon Center to rest up my team and we all meet at the restaurant later?"

Lauren nodded but continued to gaze wistfully at the boy.

Quinn smirked. "And while Rachel and I are at the Center, you can have those seven minutes in heaven with Puck here."

Puck looked up, "Wait, what?"

Rachel stifled a giggle as she and Quinn called back their Pokémon.

Lauren gave an uncharacteristic blush. "Really? I mean, y-yeah. Sure. Sounds like a plan!"

Puck quickly stood up. "Hey, wait a second!"

"I told you I'd get you back!" Quinn laughed and grabbed Rachel's hand to run out of the gym.

"Q! Rach! Don't leave me here!" Puck whipped around to face Lauren. He sheepishly rubbed at his mohawk. "Um, h-hi."

* * *

**A/N:** Please leave your thoughts.


	9. Chapter 6b

**Disclaimer:** Glee is not mine, and the only Pokémon I own are in my video games. The title of this fic is from the Offspring song of the same name.

* * *

"This is the restaurant, correct?"

Quinn surveyed the large building. "Yep."

Rachel made a noise of acknowledgement. Soon enough, the two spotted Lauren walking with Puck trailing after her. She waved to get their attention. "Hey!"

Lauren grinned. "Hi." She opened the door of the restaurant and motioned for the three to enter. She stopped by a worker at a podium. "S'up, Jeremiah?"

"Nice to see you again, Lauren. Your dad mentioned you were stopping by with some people." The worker turned to Puck. "Is this the one that won?"

"That would be Quinn." Rachel pointed to the blonde. "I hope your presumptuous attitude will not be on the menu this evening." She crossed her arms and glared.

Jeremiah winced and glanced at the daughter of his boss. She didn't seem to be mad; she was actually laughing. He sighed in relief. He really couldn't afford to get fired again; not after the debacle where gym leader Blaine serenaded him at his old workplace.

"We'll be taking my usual table."

Jeremiah was shaken from his reverie when Lauren spoke. He quickly nodded and motioned for them to walk through.

Quinn smirked at Puck as they followed their host. "So, how was heaven?"

He gave her a goofy smile. "It was—"

"Three minutes of disappointment." Lauren laughed as she stood in front of a table in the corner of the restaurant. "We'll be sitting here. Now I don't know about you guys, but I'm not waiting around."

Puck blushed in embarrassment and followed Lauren to the buffet.

Quinn and Rachel exchanged looks before trailing after them as well.

"I'll probably regret asking this," Rachel started as she picked up a plate and surveyed the food, "but why three minutes?"

"I got bored." Lauren nonchalantly responded.

"The Puckasaurus does _not_ bore the ladies!"

She stopped in front of him. "You just didn't do anything for me." She sighed as she grabbed a fork. "Then again, what can I expect from someone who gave in so easily?"

"What? You were the one to pursue me!"

"It wasn't much of a challenge," Lauren remarked as she balanced multiple plates and made her way back to the table.

Puck grabbed more food and followed after her.

Rachel and Quinn exchanged glances once more before the former's eyes lit up. "Oh, Quinn, look! They have vegan options!"

Quinn gazed wistfully at the assortment of meats a few tables over. She looked at Rachel and saw she was too busy putting vegan lasagna on her plate. The blonde grinned and snuck away to grab some bacon.

The two made their way back to Lauren and Puck to find them in a heated discussion.

"I'm sick of being the pursuer; I want to be the one that's pursued," the gym leader told him before taking a gulp of her milk.

"So… Are you saying you want to be wooed?" Puck set his fork down to turn to the side and gazed earnestly at Lauren.

Quinn and Rachel watched in amusement as they sat down opposite of them at the table.

Lauren nodded with a blush.

"Well then," Puck slammed his hands on the table as he stood up, "prepare yourself to be wooed like never before!"

"Wait, where are you going?" Quinn asked.

He sheepishly rubbed his head. "To get more food."

"That was anti-climactic." Rachel mumbled.

The blonde's eyes widened. "We just sat down. There's no way you could've finished your…" She trailed off when she saw his empty plates.

"That's why I stock up on the first round so I don't have to make a lot of trips." Lauren laughed at the incredulous look Rachel gave her. "What? I need the energy. I'd like to see _you_ train my Pokémon, pipsqueak."

"Hey now," Quinn placated.

The gym leader rolled her eyes good naturedly and returned to her meal.

Light conversation took place before Puck came running back to the table, trying to balance multiple plates in his hands. Rachel winced at the copious amounts of meat while Lauren quirked an eyebrow up. He set the food down and sat next to her. "I got you a hamburger. I figured being a gym leader must take a lot out of you and all."

Lauren smirked. "Oh, I drank all of my milk."

"Don't worry! I got it," Puck jumped up to get her some more.

Quinn laughed before her eyes landed on a bottle of hot sauce. Rachel and Lauren were off in their own discussion so Quinn made her decision. She grabbed the bottle with a devious chuckle and quickly poured the contents on Puck's food.

"Here you go, babe." Puck proudly stated as he slid into his seat.

Quinn made a whipping motion and he glared at her before picking up his fork. She just smirked.

"Thanks, Puckerman." The gym leader replied offhandedly. She turned back to the brunette and took the last bite of the hamburger Puck brought her earlier.

Rachel grimaced. "Do you have any idea what that's made out of?"

Quinn paused with her fork inches away from her lips. She studied the food curiously before her eyes lit up in realization. She scrunched up her face and slowly moved the plate away from her.

Lauren shrugged with a chuckle. She schooled her features and turned back to Puck. "This hamburger sucked."

His eyes widened. "But you ate all of it!"

"I had to make sure all of it sucked."

"It's your dad's food…" Puck grumbled as he finally reached for his fork.

Rachel looked at Quinn in confusion when the blonde giggled.

"Have you three heard about that circus?" The gym leader asked conversationally.

Puck excitedly nodded as he took a bite of his food. "Yeah! I really want to—_SHIT!"_

Rachel blinked. "…you really want to shit?"

Puck stuck his tongue out and fanned it with his hands. "Holy shit. Holy shit. Water! For the love of Ho-Oh! Someone give me some water!" He grabbed Rachel's drink and chugged it down.

The brunette gaped at the boy while he slammed the glass down and sighed.

Quinn covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter.

Puck glared at her. "Fine, okay! You got me back! We're even!"

The blonde's hand fell away as she barked out laughter.

Lauren turned to Rachel. "You're quite the interesting group." But it went unheard as the brunette just pouted at her empty glass. Lauren shook her head in amusement. "As I was_ saying_… The circus. Are you guys going to it?"

Puck gave one last glare in Quinn's direction before responding, "I'd like to go."

"No!" Everyone turned to Rachel. "Pokémon shouldn't be held in captivity and trained for some sick spectacle for humans." She crossed her arms.

"What do you call Pokémon trainers then?"

Rachel spluttered at what the gym leader asked. "We—we're not…. We don't…"

"Don't put Pokémon in pokéballs and train them for the Elite Four? Which it in itself is a big spectacle for humans?"

Rachel fell silent.

"So I don't see why you guys shouldn't go," Lauren continued. "Besides, it leaves tomorrow; you don't wanna miss it. I hear this performer named Dazzling David or something has kickass fire Pokémon. And there's this Machoke that can apparently lift anything."

"That does it! We're going!"Puck turned to his two friends with pleading eyes.

Quinn jokingly sighed. "Fine. I _do _want to see this Lovely Lady Lopez everyone keeps talking about..."

"So after dinner, we'll go get ready and then meet up in front of the circus tent?" The gym leader questioned.

"Sure," Quinn responded while Puck nodded excitedly.

Rachel set her fork down and ducked her head.

* * *

"I think it's going to be fun." Quinn called out as she put the finishing touches to her hair. She frowned when she was met with silence. She gave herself one last once-over before making her way out of the bathroom.

The brunette sat on one of the beds with her eyes down as her hands wrung together.

Quinn slowly approached her. "Rach? Did you hear me?"

"What? Oh, yes. Fun…" Rachel trailed off.

"Hey," Quinn sat down next to her on the bed, "we don't have to go if it's only going to upset you."

Rachel shook her. "It's nothing."

Quinn put her hand on Rachel's shoulder. "Talk to me, Rach," she pleaded.

Rachel sucked in a breath as she tried to gather her wits. "I just… What Lauren said earlier…"

Quinn nodded slowly as she tried to remember what the gym leader could've said to distress her friend.

"How—" A tear slid down the brunette's check. "How am I any better than the people at the circus?"

"Rachel, what—"

"I'm pretty much using my Pokémon for my own sick amusement!" Rachel brokenly referenced her earlier discussion with the gym leader.

"Damn it, Lauren." Quinn muttered to herself with narrowed eyes. Her gaze softened when Rachel fell forward to cling to her. "Hey, no, listen," she ran her hands through the brunette's hair, "you're doing no such thing."

"I'm doing nothing but taking advantage of my Pokémon and using them for my own personal gain!" Rachel wept into Quinn's shoulder. "They must hate me!"

Quinn sat back to stare earnestly into her friend's eyes. "No. Your Pokémon love you."

"How can they? I'm horrible—"

"Do you love them?"

"Wha—Of course!"

"Then that's all that matters."

"But, Quinn…" She trailed off when the blonde reached over and took a pokéball off the brunette's belt.

"_Espeon!"_ The psychic type Pokémon appeared at the foot of the bed. She looked around the room in confusion before her eyes landed on the two girls. She mewed in concern at the look of anguish on her trainer's face.

Rachel watched with watery eyes as her Elphaba nuzzled into her. The brunette lowered her head in shame and brought a hand up to wipe a stray tear. She felt as if she didn't deserve the sign of affection from Espeon.

"_Espeon…"_ Espeon sat back on her hind legs as the orb in the middle of her forehead began to glow.

Rachel closed her eyes tight when she felt the Pokémon move away. She was right; she didn't deserve them and they knew it.

The other pokéballs on Rachel's belt began to glow in a similar light before floating into the air and releasing their inhabitants.

A gasp from Quinn snapped Rachel back to attention. "Wha—"

"_Leef! Bayleef!"_

"_Hoot!"_

The two Pokémon didn't know what was going on; however, one look at their trainer had them scrambling in her lap to try and console her.

Rachel stumbled back on the bed as her Pokémon cuddled into her. A fresh set of tears appeared as she tried to hug the three to her.

Quinn stood up from the bed and addressed her best friend. "See? They love you." The brunette hiccupped and clung closer to her Pokémon. Quinn bit her lip at the scene before reinforcing her statement, "They do. They all love you. How could they not? I mean, Rachel, even I—"

Rachel tentatively raised her head when the blonde abruptly stopped talking. Coffee brown eyes locked with hesitant hazel and Quinn's throat became dry at the hopeful expression on Rachel's face.

"I…I, uh…"

"_Hoot!"_

The little owl Pokémon broke Quinn's gaze away and Rachel's expression turned crestfallen.

The blonde missed the transition as she walked up to Hoothoot to pet her feathers. "You're a phenomenal trainer, but most importantly," she turned her eyes once again on Rachel and said seriously, "you're an amazing human being. You care so much."

Rachel shook her head with a sniff.

"No, you do. You're the most caring person I know," Quinn said with conviction.

"_Leef!"_

"Look, Mr. Arnstein agrees with me!"

Rachel chuckled softly as Bayleef licked her cheek. She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and look up at Quinn bashfully. "Thank you…"

"No need to thank me for speaking the truth."

Rachel ducked her head and sighed.

Quinn furrowed her brows. "What?"

"It's just that… what about the circus Pokémon? What if they're unhappy?" She nervously stroked Espeon's fur.

Quinn rubbed her elbow in uncertainty as she thought about the question. She clasped her hands together as she addressed the issue, "This circus has garnered a lot of attention. I bet hundreds—if not thousands—of people have seen it already. If a Pokémon was being mistreated, I'm sure someone would've said something or gone to an Officer Carl."

Rachel still looked hesitant; however, she nodded along to Quinn's words because the blonde would never steer her wrong. "Right. Well, I guess…" she took a deep breath and stood up from the bed, "I guess I should go wash up so we can go to the circus." She called back her Pokémon in their pokéballs and straightened out her skirt before turning to walk.

Quinn softly grabbed Rachel's arm and reiterated what she said earlier. "You are an amazing person, Rachel. And I know you would do anything to help a Pokémon in need. Even if it meant facing Team Sylvester," she gave a dry chuckle as she patted Dratini's ball, "or… I don't know… sneaking around back after the show and releasing them with your own hands." Quinn closed her eyes as she laughed at her joke, thus missing the glint that appeared in Rachel's own.

"Yeah… Sneaking around back." She bumped Quinn's shoulder with her own as she made her way into the bathroom to freshen up, ideas quickly forming in her head.

* * *

"Here ya go, Lauren!" Puck stated as he handed popcorn to the gym leader.

Quinn shook her head and whispered to Rachel, "Whipped."

Rachel nodded distractedly as she took in her surroundings.

Quinn frowned. "Hey," she put her hand on top of Rachel's that was on the armrest, "look at me."

Rachel glanced down at their interlocked hands before snapping her attention to Quinn. "Y-yes?"

"I know it may seem like I dragged you here, but if you don't want to be here, we can leave."

Rachel took a deep breath. "No… No, I'll be fine."

Quinn squeezed her hand. "If you at all start to feel uncomfortable, we can always ditch Pizes and leave."

Rachel nodded before quirking an eyebrow up. "Wait, Pizes?"

"Me and Lauren!" Puck spoke up from his spot next to Quinn.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Pokémon of all types! We are proud to welcome you to the show of the century…"

"Quiet! It's starting!" Lauren shushed the friends as the lights dimmed and music surrounded the tent.

Quinn rolled her eyes but turned her attention to the show.

"…and here is the person responsible for your enjoyment for the next two hours. The man, the legend…" A drum roll filled the tent as the lights focused in on red velvet curtains. "Ringmaster Ghoul!"

Cheers erupted throughout the audience as a man in a suit and half a white mask rode in on a horse type Pokémon.

"Who does he think he is with that mask? The Phantom of the Opera?" Rachel scoffed.

"**Ponyta: The Fire Horse Pokémon. Ponyta is capable of jumping incredibly high. Its hooves are ten times harder than diamond. Its sturdy legs will absorb the impact of the landing caused from its extraordinary jumps."**

"Shhh!" Lauren narrowed her eyes at Puck. He sheepishly put his pokédex away and paid attention to the ringmaster.

Quinn scrutinized the man as he jumped off from Ponyta and pulled a microphone seemingly out of nowhere. She leaned over to Rachel and whispered in the brunette's ear, "I feel like I know him from somewhere."

"How are you all doing tonight?" The audience roared and the ringmaster smirked.

Rachel shrugged before turning her attention back to the show.

Quinn sighed and tried to ignore the funny feeling in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

"Let's have a round of applause for that Abra! Talk about an Abra-credible performance!" The announcer chuckled at his play on words. "Now, for this next act, we have the Magnificent Matty!"

Matt Rutherford sighed before putting on his show face and bursting through the curtain.

"Matty here needs a volunteer from the audience for this bit!" The lights shown throughout the crowd as cheers and screams erupted in excitement. "Now, now, now… who will it be? How about this dapper young man?" The light focused on a teenager. He looked around in confusion before pointing to himself. "Yes, you! Come on down!"

Matt picked up a microphone and addressed the boy when he came down to the stage. "What's your name?"

"Rory," the boy nervously replied.

"That's an awesome accent you have there, Rory. I bet you get all the ladies with it."

Cat-calls were heard in the crowd and Rory's face turned a deep shade of red. "We-well, I, uh..."

"So what's your favorite Pokémon, Rory?" Matt asked to spare him the embarrassment.

"Oh, um, Politoed, sir."

"Ah, Politoed. The Frog Pokémon. They expand their throats to croak out a tune that sounds like bellowing." Matt recited. "So, why is that your favorite Pokémon?"

"Well, they're green and remind me of home."

The crowed _aaawed_ and Rory's face turned even darker.

"That's lovely that it reminds you of home. You'll feel even closer to home with this next act. Does that sound cool with you, Rory?"

The boy hesitantly nodded.

"Don't worry, man, no harm has ever come to anyone who participated in this. Well, not much at least…" Matt joked as he released a pokéball.

"_Hypno!"_

"Hypno, use Hypnosis!" The psychic type Pokémon swung his pendulum in front of the volunteer. "You are getting very sleepy…"

Rory's wide eyes glazed over as he watched the pendulum start to glow. His head lolled forward as he dozed off.

"Now, Rory, listen to the sound of my voice."

The boy snored and the crowd chuckled.

"When I say… oh, I don't know… the word 'Celebi,'" Matt began, "I want you to imagine you're a Politoed. No, not imagine; you _are_ a Politoed. Do you hear me, Rory?"

"…I… am… a Politoed…" Rory mumbled.

"This seems highly unorthodox," Rachel whispered to Quinn as the rest of the crowd watched in anticipation.

"You're green. You bellow out tunes and you jump to get around. Now, when I say the word 'Ho-Oh,'" Matt circled around the sleeping boy, "I want you to snap out of it and return to your old self. Am I clear?"

Rory snored an affirmative.

"Okay, now when I clap my hands, you're going to wake up. One, two, three…" Matt clapped his hands and Rory startled awake.

"Um, so when are we going to do the act?"

Matt smirked. "Celebi."

Rory's eyes glazed over and he crouched down on the floor. "_Politoed! Politoed!"_ He chanted as he leapt around the stage.

The audience roared in laughter as the boy continued to act like a Pokémon.

"Ho-Oh!"

Rory stood up and looked around in confusion.

"Celebi!"

"_Politoed!"_

* * *

Santana shook her head at the antics going on outside the curtain. She finished the final touches of her costume before putting on the mask. She reached for the pokéball on her dresser before a voice startled her.

"Good luck out there."

"Holy Ho-Oh!" She clutched at her chest and glared at Dave.

He held his hands up in surrender. "You ready for this?"

She squared her shoulders and released the Pokémon from the ball.

"_Gastly!"_

Dave watched in amazement as Gastly turned invisible and levitated Santana off the ground. She smirked.

"I got this."

* * *

Quinn watched in awe as the Lovely Lady Lopez back flipped and flip-flopped on a tightrope fifty feet in the air. Rachel grasped her hand when the woman jumped up and off the rope.

The crowd stood up on their feet when Santana didn't come down, but instead flew around the tent and over the audience.

"Holy shit!" Puck hollered before whistling when Santana flew in front of him.

Her eyes widened behind the mask as she spotted the group of friends. She quickly nodded her head back to the stage and Gastly levitated her towards her it. Once close enough, he released his hold and she flipped through the air and gracefully onto her feet. Santana bowed to the roaring crowd before subtly glancing at Quinn and Rachel. She blew kisses to the crowd and exited behind the curtains.

"Shit." She muttered.

* * *

"That was Dazzling David, the human match and his fire-type Pokémon!" The announcer called out as Dave ran backstage and tore his fire-proof suit off. He gasped out a breath and welcomed the water bottle Santana gave him.

"Thanks, S." He chugged some of it before pouring the rest on his head. He knelt down next to his Houndoom and scratched behind her ears. "You were great, Doomie!"

"_Magmar!"_

He stood up and patted his other Pokémon on the shoulder. "You too, Magmar!"

Santana shook her head in amusement before turning serious. "Listen, Dave, you remember those three from—"

"Dazzling David! What are you doing out of costume?"

"Oh, come on, Goolsby—"

"I said to call me Ringmaster Ghoul!"

"—it's like an oven in that thing. Literally!"

Dustin Goolsby scowled and narrowed his eyes. "Whatever. Get back there and bring me the Pokémon for the next act," He ordered before marching through the curtains with a fake smile on his face.

"I'll talk to you after the show, S. I gotta get Machoke ready."

"But…" Santana trailed off as Dave walked away.

* * *

"Can you believe this, folks?" Goolsby called out to the audience atop the Ponyta. "This Machoke has lifted things no human being can ever think of lifting. But…" He trailed off as he jumped off the fire horse, "can it lift, oh, this Ponyta?"

Rachel's breath hitched and she tightly grasped Quinn's hand.

Quinn frowned as the Ponyta anxiously cried out while being lifted into the air by the bulky Pokémon.

The crowd clapped excitedly at the scene before Machoke put the fire horse down.

Rachel sighed in relief but didn't remove her death grip from the blonde's hand until Dazzling David coaxed the Ponyta away from Ringmaster Ghoul and off the stage.

* * *

"That was awesome!" Puck yelled once the show was over and the crowd started to disperse.

"Yeah…" Rachel trailed off as she watched the members of the circus walk backstage. "Hey, um, I'm going to the little girl's room!"

"Do you want me to go with you—"

"No!"

Quinn's eyes widened in confusion and slight hurt at the brunette's outburst.

Rachel sputtered for a bit before taking a deep breath. She released it and put her hand on the blonde's arm. "I'll meet you out front, okay?"

Quinn nodded slowly as she watched Rachel bolt in the other direction.

"You guys are so weird." Lauren shook her head as she grabbed Puck by the hand and dragged him through the crowd.

Quinn went to follow the duo, but turned the other way when something shiny caught her eye.

* * *

Dave fidgeted in his sequin costume. He'd take the fire-proof suit over sequins any day.

"Hello."

He looked up into familiar hazel eyes. _Oh, shit, so this is what Santana was trying to say…_ He touched his face to ensure his mask was secured before clearing his throat and addressing the blonde. "Why, hello there! Did you enjoy the show?"

"It sure was something. Especially that Machoke act."

"Machoke is quite the powerful Pokémon."

"Yes, he is. But listen, I was a little bit concerned about the Ponyta…"

Dave lifted an eyebrow. "If you have a complaint about the show, I suggest formally writing it in a letter and I will deliver it to Ringmaster Ghoul himself."

"No, it's not that. I was just…" Brown eyes flashed in Quinn's mind and she cleared her throat. "Are your Pokémon happy?"

Dave quirked his head to the side. "Happy?"

"Yeah. Happy. I mean, you treat them well, right?"

Dave scrunched up his face behind the mask.

* * *

Rachel's eyes widened in horror as one of the workers threw a rope around Ponyta's neck and legs to tie her to a post. She scowled as she took in the sight of various other Pokémon being locked or tied up. Her gaze narrowed at the Lovely Lady Lopez and she reached for a pokéball.

"_Bayleef!"_

* * *

"We take the utmost care of our Pokémon performers, ma'am."

Quinn cocked her head to the side as she studied the man in front of her. A few seconds went by before she nodded. "Thank you."

"No problem, miss. I hope you enjoyed your experience here at—holy shit!" Dave's mask slid off his face as he stumbled forward when the ground began to shake. He whipped around and his eyes widened to saucers.

"R-Rachel?" Quinn yelled in disbelief.

"Get back here you dwarf! Do you know where I'm from? I'm from Lima Heights Adjacent! Bad things happen in Lima Heights Adjacent!"

"Santana?" Dave sputtered.

"Be free, Pokémon! Be free!" Rachel shouted as she led a stampede out of the tent. "Faster, noble steed!" She thrust her fist in the air to make the Ponyta she was riding gallop quicker.

"Gastly, stop her!" Santana yelled.

The gas ghost Pokémon slowly started to glow and change form.

"_Haunter!"_ The newly evolved Pokémon cackled as he swept down and lifted Santana off her feet.

"Gast—Haunter!" The raven haired woman kicked her feet as the purple ghost Pokémon flew after the stampede.

The blonde's eyebrows rose and she spun back to the boy. "Wait… It's you!"

Dave ignored her as he ran after the chaos.

Quinn looked towards the sky. "Ho-Oh help me," she muttered before bolting after them.

* * *

"We were gone for literally ten minutes."

"I know."

"Ten minutes, Q. Ten minutes."

"I know!" Quinn pinched the bridge of her nose to ward off her oncoming headache.

"How the fuck did you manage to cause a riot and police raid within ten minutes?"

Quinn ignored Puck as she walked over to the police officer.

"Unhand me this instant! You have no right to arrest me! My dads are gay and unless you want the—"

Quinn put her hand over Rachel's mouth before addressing Officer Carl. "It's not her fault."

The officer ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "Miss, she caused mass panic amongst civilians with her little stunt."

Rachel mumbled against Quinn's hand, but the blonde shushed her. "But you don't understand! It was Team Sylvester that was behind all of this!"

"You're saying infamous worldwide criminals Team Sylvester was behind all this?"

"That's exactly what she said!" Rachel shouted after removing Quinn's hand.

Officer Carl glared pointedly at her. "Well, then where exactly are they?"

Quinn narrowed her eyes. "They escaped!"

"Likely story."

"No, really, listen—Hey! That's one of them right there!"

Officer Carl's eyes widened. "Dustin Goolsby!"

The Team Sylvester member cursed under his breath before bolting into a run.

"Freeze! Stop!"

The man came to an abrupt halt when he became surrounded by officers. He turned around and raised an eyebrow as Carl slowly walked towards him.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do will be held against you—"

Dustin smirked. "Anything I say or do? Well, how about this?" He reached into his pocket and pulled out two pokéballs.

"Weezing, SmokeScreen!"

"_Weezing!"_

The officers started to hack and wheeze amongst the smog and smoke.

"Weezing, return! Go, Fearow!"

A screech was heard throughout the chaos and a giant bird Pokémon burst through the smoke and into the air with Dustin on its back.

"Shit, you're letting him get away!" Carl coughed. He punched the air. "Damn it!"

"Don't worry; you'll get them next time."

Carl's eyes widened at the voice. "E-Emma."

Nurse Pillsbury smiled sweetly at him.

Quinn watched the scene with mild disgust before turning her attention back to what was going on around her. Various human workers and Chansey were rounding up the escaped Pokémon to bring to the Pokémon center.

"We'll be sure to find good homes for these Pokémon." Nurse Pillsbury said as she walked up to the group. "Oh…" She watched in concern as Ponyta caused a ruckus.

The Pokémon stomped and shook her head desperately at the Chansey. She managed to break away and galloped over to Rachel.

The brunette gasped as the fire horse Pokémon nuzzled her cheek. "Awe, it's okay girl. You're going to be fine now."

Nurse Pillsbury watched the scene before speaking up, "I think this Ponyta has taken a liking to you."

Lauren snorted. "Well, she did lead it on a Pokémon rebellion."

Rachel ignored her. "Is that so, girl? Do you want to travel with us?"

Ponyta neighed happily and the flames in her mane brightened.

Quinn fondly shook her head before noticing Puck staring off into the distance. She followed his gaze and landed on the Machoke. She quirked her head before looking back at Rachel when she heard the brunette squeal excitedly.

"I think I'll name you after Patti LuPone!"

* * *

"Where's Puck?" Rachel asked after securing her new pokéball to her belt. It was the next day and the gang was set to head out to their next destination.

"I have no idea." Quinn replied as she slid her backpack over her shoulders. They walked out of their room and into the Pokémon center lobby.

"Thanks again, Nurse Pillsbury!" Puck said. He saw his friends out of the corner of his eye and turned around excitedly. "Hey guys!"

Quinn laughed when he ran up to them. "Whoa, hey. Where have you been?"

"I'll show ya!" He threw out a pokéball and a giant red light shot out.

"Is that…?"

"_Machoke!"_

"The Machoke from the circus? You bet your sweet ass it is!"

"Noah!" Rachel reprimanded him, but the boy was oblivious in his happy state. She rolled her eyes and giggled when he and Machoke started doing muscle poses together.

"Awe yeah, check out our guns!"

"_Machoke!"_

"Talk about a little pistol."

The trio turned towards the entrance of the Pokémon Center to see Lauren walking towards them.

"Oh, whatever. You know I have a machine gun."

Rachel scrunched her face in disgust. "I don't think they're talking about arm muscles anymore."

Quinn's face turned bright red.

Lauren chucked. "Come on, Puckerman, let's go."

"Wait, go where?" Rachel glanced from side to side in confusion.

"He didn't tell you?"

Quinn narrowed her eyes. "Tell us what?"

Puck cleared his throat, "Well, ya see... Lauren and I were talking and…" He nervously ran his hand over his mohawk. "I'm going to stay and train here for the rest of the summer."

Rachel's mouth dropped open. _"What?"_


	10. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Glee is not mine, and the only Pokémon I own are in my video games. The title of this fic is from the Offspring song of the same name.

* * *

"Flaaffy, use ThunderShock!"

"_Flaaffy!"_ Yellow sparks appeared around the wool Pokémon's ears as she fired a blast of electricity at the opponent.

"Is it gone?"

Quinn sighed as the Zubat flew away from them into the dark depths of the cave. "Yes, Rachel, it's gone."

Rachel came out from behind Quinn with a breath of relief. "Thank Ho-Oh! I can't believe we didn't stock up on repels before we left the city!"

"Well, you're the one who wanted to leave as quickly as possible." Quinn's words tumbled from her mouth before she realized what she said. "Rachel, I didn't—"

Rachel sucked in a breath. "No, no, y-you're right. Let's just… let's just continue on our way," she said in a rush before hurrying off through the cave.

The blonde groaned at her lack of tact. She knew Rachel was insecure about people leaving her. No matter how many times the brunette denied it, Quinn fully believed part of it was her and Russell's fault for tearing away their friendship when they were children. While they had obviously reconciled, Puck was the one who was there for Rachel during those tough days. Quinn knew that while they would see him again at the end of the summer, it must have still been hard for Rachel to say goodbye to someone who had been a constant in her life.

"Shit," Quinn ran her hand through her hair in frustration. That's why Rachel insisted they leave the city so quickly right after Puck made his announcement; she didn't say it, but Quinn knew it was so she wouldn't have to say a long goodbye and be forced to dwell on the fact she wouldn't be seeing one of her best friends for a few months.

A scream drew her out of her thoughts.

"Was that…?" Quinn cautiously asked Flaaffy.

"Quinn! Help!"

"_Flaaffy!"_ The pink electric Pokémon scurried towards the noise with Quinn on her heels.

"Quinn!" Rachel cried as a colony of Zubat surrounded her. She fell to her knees with her hands protecting her head.

Quinn's eyes widened as she stumbled upon the site. "Flaaffy!" She commanded in desperation.

The Pokémon was already on the move; a massive bolt of yellow electricity shot towards the Zubat as Quinn slid to the ground to Rachel.

"It's okay. You're okay." Quinn consoled. "They're gone."

"The-they came out of nowhere—Quinn!" Rachel fell out of the blonde's arms in fright.

"What?" She asked in panic. "It's okay. They're gone!"

"No, Quinn!" She held up a trembling finger and pointed behind the cheerleader's head.

"_Golbat!"_

Quinn slowly turned around and her breath caught in her throat as she came face to face with a gigantic bat towering over her.

"I think… I think she's the mother of all the Zubat we've been encountering." Rachel whispered to Quinn as they both slowly scooted back towards the cave wall.

"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit." Quinn mumbled as the giant bat Pokémon gradually advanced on them. Light from the corner of her eye caught her attention. "Flaaffy, Electro Ball!"

The pink Pokémon summoned a ball of electricity from her tail and swung it at the giant bat.

"Quinn! You're going to make her mad!"

Golbat stumbled from the attack before whipping her head around and charging at the wool Pokémon.

Quinn pulled Rachel to her feet and shoved her to the side. "Rachel, there's the exit!"

The brunette nodded and ran before stopping once she realized something. "Quinn!" She called out as the blonde ran in the opposite direction and towards the bat Pokémon.

"Just go! I'll be fine!"

"No, not without—"

"Quilava, make sure Rachel gets out of the cave safe and unharmed!" Quinn yelled as she threw a pokéball over her shoulder.

"_Quilava!"_ The fire type Pokémon stood up on his hind legs and pushed his trainer's friend towards the exit.

"Quinn!"

Once Rachel was out of her sight, Quinn turned back to the battling Pokémon. "Okay, Flaaffy, we've been working on this one. Iron Tail!"

Flaaffy's tail began to glow white as she jumped into the air and swung at Golbat.

The bat Pokémon skidded to the ground from the impact. She screeched at the duo before opening her mouth and letting out a thick, black smoke.

"She's using Haze! Flaaffy, return!" She called back her Pokémon when the smoke slowly started to surround all crevices of the cave. She coughed as she frantically darted her watering eyes in search of the exit. "There."

Golbat regained her footing and stood up right as Quinn sprinted into a run.

"_Golbat!"_

The trainer's eyes locked on the light from outside as she held her breath through the haze and ran as fast as she could.

The bat Pokémon picked up speed and flew after her.

* * *

Rachel nervously paced the ground outside of the cave. She had tried running back in there, but Quilava picked her up and set her down away from it.

"_Quil!"_ The fire type Pokémon called out to the stressed girl.

A gasp from the opening of the cave drew their attention. Rachel turned to run but Quilava blocked her path.

Quinn knelt on the ground catching her breath as the haze of black smoke trailed from the cave. She shakily stood up and staggered toward the brunette.

Quilava stepped to the side as the humans embraced. The embers on his back flared as Golbat emerged from the cave. The fire Pokémon was ready for battle; however, the bright light of the outside world forced a screech from the bat Pokémon and she quickly flew back into the darkness

The two girls waited with bated breath as Quilava stood up on his hind legs facing the cave. They let out a sigh of relief once he relaxed and walked back towards them.

"What did I tell you about such extreme behavior?" Rachel cried into Quinn's shoulder.

Quinn hugged her close. "I couldn't let anything happen to you."

Rachel's breath hitched and she held on tighter. It was silent for a while before she mumbled, "thank you."

The blonde pulled back to look into the brunette's eyes. "Rachel, I'm so sorry."

"For wha—"

"For what I said about leaving the city quickly."

"Quinn…"

"No. If I didn't say that, I wouldn't have upset you and you wouldn't have run off and gotten attacked and… and…"

"Quinn." Rachel rubbed the blonde's arms soothingly. "It wasn't your fault. Granted, what you said did hurt my feelings a bit, but I realized as I was walking away how sorry you were. Look," she brought her hands down to lock with Quinn's, "we both miss Puck and we were both not in the right state of minds… especially with all those Zubat." She shuttered. "Speaking of the Zubat, that attack had nothing to do with you. I've heard stories about how the caves in this region can be; we would've had to face them regardless."

Quinn sniffed out a laugh. "How do you always know what to say?"

Rachel brought her in for another hug. "I've known you since we were ten, Q. Sometimes I think I know you better than I know myself."

The blonde blushed at the admission and ducked her head.

Rachel giggled at her friend's shyness before pulling her even closer to herself.

Quinn's head snapped up at the sudden proximity and her eyes widened when she came face to face with the brunette. She gulped at the twinkle in Rachel's gaze and then held her breath as their faces got closer.

"Quinn…"

"_Jigglypuff!"_

The pink balloon Pokémon startled the two out of their embrace. Rachel gasped when she caught sight of Jigglypuff. "You! Quinn, this is the same Jigglypuff from before!"

Quinn rubbed her neck as the blush on her cheeks slowly faded. She could've sworn they were about to… She shook her head and snapped out of it. "Rachel, no offense, but… there are Pokémon of the same species all over the world. I highly doubt this is the same—"

Jigglypuff's eyes widened in recognition when she noticed the humans. _"Puff!"_

"See! Look, Quinn, she remembers us! Oh, I'm so going to catch her this time!" Rachel said excitedly as she reached for a pokéball.

"_Lava!"_ Quilava called out anxiously to his trainer.

"Rachel!" Quinn gulped as she noticed the Jigglypuff open her mouth.

"I'm telling you; this is the same Jigglypuff from before! She's going—"

"_Jigglypuff…Jiggly…"_

"—make a great addition to…oh…" Rachel trailed off as her eyes closed.

"Not again…" Quinn whined before she too fell asleep.

Quilava mustered up a glare to the pink Pokémon before he walked slowly to the humans and curled up next to them.

* * *

"Hey, wake up!"

Rachel snapped her eyes open and jumped up. "I'll capture you yet, Jigglypuff!" She blinked and looked around, "Wait, who are you?"

Quinn yawned, "What are you going on about?"

The brunette narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Just what are you doing here in the woods whilst two unsuspecting young women are comfortably asleep? Hmmm…?"

"Comfortably asleep? That Jigglypuff got to us. Again!" Quinn rubbed at her eyes before standing up. "And what the hell do you mean about two unsuspecting…" Her eyes widened when she realized her friend was talking to someone else. She stood next to Rachel and glared at the intruder. "Who are _you_?"

Quilava stood defensively in front of the two humans and growled.

"Whoa, whoa, hey! I wasn't doing anything! I was just passing through here to get to the Pokémon Museum when I saw you two sleeping."

Rachel gasped. "You're a Peeping Tom!"

"What? No, no! It's just like you said; you're two unsuspecting young women—"

Quinn stepped forward while the flames on Quilava's back flared up. "You're really not helping your case."

"—and I thought I'd wake you up before it got dark and you wouldn't spend the night asleep in front of this cave and in the woods where anything could happen to you, I swear!" He rushed out in one breath.

The blonde studied him for a bit before extending her hand. "Quinn."

He let out a sigh of relief and shook her hand. "Sam. Sam I am! And I don't like green eggs and ham!" He gave her a goofy grin.

Quinn arched an eyebrow before shaking her head with a giggle.

"I'm Rachel." The brunette broke up their handshake and placed herself in between the two blondes. "And that's Quilava. He's a very powerful Pokémon that will do everything he can to protect us. Right, Quilava? Quilava!"

The fire Pokémon ignored her as he sniffed at a tree.

"So you said you were on your way to a Pokémon museum?" Quinn inquired.

"Oh, yeah! The P-MOSAH!"

"…Who the heck is P. Mosah? Your girlfriend?" Rachel asked hopefully.

"What? No, I don't have a girlfriend." Sam blushed before continuing, "'_The Pokémon Museum of Science and History'_! P-MOSAH for short. It's actually in the town ahead of these woods. Are you two heading there?"

"We're on our way to the next gym, and I don't believe the town you're referring to as any badges." Rachel crossed her arms.

"Well, actually," Quinn started, "according to the map, the next gym is on an island. We have to take the harbor to get there."

"So?"

"The harbor is on the beach just outside of the town," Sam supplied. His eyes lit up. "We should all totally go there together!"

"Sure, why not? You can show us this P-MOSAH." Quinn smiled.

Rachel huffed and walked towards Quilava. "Can you believe this guy, Quilava? He just waltzes through the woods with this knight-in-shining-armor attitude and perfect blonde hair and silly smile and stupid acronyms for museums—Quilava?"

"_Quilava!"_ The fire Pokémon stood up on his hind legs and growled at the tree he was sniffing at earlier.

"What is it?" Quinn asked as she and Sam walked to the scene.

"Hey, watch out; it could be a dangerous Pokémon. Let me look." Sam warned before reaching for a pokéball.

"I can do it!" Rachel interfered.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure, Sean—"

"It's Sam…"

"—as a matter of fact, you may want to step back."

"No, Quinn told me about the Zubat and Golbat attack; I think I should be the one to—"

"You told him about that? I leave for not even a minute and you tell him!" Rachel put her hands on her hips and turned to the boy. "What else did she tell you?"

"What? She was just telling me why I found you two asleep in the woods. It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Oh, no, I'm not embarrassed. But I might be for you if you try facing whatever is behind that tree without adequate preparation."

"Rachel, what are you trying to prove?"

"Why nothing, Quinn. I'm just trying to tell Steve here—"

"My name is Sam!"

Quinn rolled her eyes at the bickering two and walked towards the tree.

"No, Quinn! Don't!" Rachel rushed in front of her. "I'll do it!"

"No, I'll do it!" Sam stepped in front of the brunette.

"Nonsense, I insist!" Rachel squeezed past him and jumped behind the tree.

"I'm telling you that whatever is behind that tree has to be something dangerous and…" He trailed off as Rachel reappeared with a smug look on her face.

"More like dangerously cute." Rachel knelt down and beckoned whatever it was towards her. "Come on, it's okay. Come here."

Quilava flared his flames.

"No, it's okay, Quilava," Rachel told him. She turned to his trainer. "Quinn, call him back. I think Quilava's scaring him."

The blonde gave her a puzzled expression. "Scaring…?" She trailed off her question as she called Quilava back into his pokéball.

"_Teddiursa!"_ A tiny brown Pokémon hesitantly appeared in front of the tree.

"What is that?" Sam got out his pokédex and pointed it to the Pokémon.

"**Teddiursa: ****The Little Bear Pokémon. This cute, cuddly Pokémon is easily frightened and frequently licks its paws, which are usually covered with sweet honey."**

"This was the dangerous Pokémon?" Quinn laughed.

Sam ducked his head when Rachel snickered.

"He's so adorable!" The brunette cooed as the little bear Pokémon scuttled into her arms.

"_Teddiursa!"_

Quinn walked up to her friend and put her hand on Rachel's shoulder. "He is rather..." She trailed off at the expression on the Pokémon's face. "Is he...? Is he glaring at me?" She asked in disbelief.

Rachel shook her head. "What? No, not sweet, little Tony!"

"...Tony?" The blonde boy questioned.

She ignored him and looked at the little bear Pokémon. The newly dubbed Tony stared up at her with his big, innocent eyes.

"Q, I believe you're seeing things."

"I'm telling you, he was glar—He just stuck his tongue out at me!"

"Whoa, he totally did!"

"Okay, obviously the thirty seconds I left you both alone together was enough time for you to corrupt Quinn and brainwash her into conspiring against not only me, but this poor little Pokémon. Well, I will have none of that I say! None of it!" She picked up a pokéball and turned to Teddiursa.

"_Teddi!"_ The Pokémon's eyes lit up at the sight and he jumped in excitement as the red light captured him into the ball.

"Now," the brunette began, "come along, Quinn. We have a gym to get to. Sam," she eyed him, "it was a... pleasure, I suppose. Goodbye."

Quinn quirked an eyebrow in amusement at Rachel's retreating figure. "Rachel," she called out.

"Hmmm...?"

"We're still going with Sam to the P-MOSAH."

She stopped in her tracks. "But..." She looked from both blondes before sighing. "Ho-Oh, give me strength," she grumbled to herself before storming off into the direction of the next town.

Sam watched in concern. "Is she always this..."

"Crazy?" Quinn asked as she called back Quilava into his pokéball.

"Well, I mean, I was going to say intense, but since you mentioned it..."

"Yes." Quinn chuckled as they began catching up to the brunette. "But I wouldn't have her any other way."

* * *

"Lady and lady, may I present to you..." Sam patted his knees to create a drum-roll noise, "the Pokemon Museum of Science and History... The P-MOSAH!" He threw his arms in the air and wiggled his fingers for emphasis.

"That will be fifteen dollars for you two ladies, and ten for Mr. Evans." The worker at the entrance ignored the blonde boy's normal antics.

"Fifteen dollars?" Rachel shouted. "Why is it cheaper for him? This, sir, is blatant sexism and I refuse to be a subject to such misogynous behavior! My dads are gay and unless—"

"Rachel."

"No, Quinn! I should've known this would happen if we followed him here. Actually, I did know—"

"Rachel!"

"What?"

Quinn nodded toward Sam. Rachel trailed her gaze to the boy to see him blushing. She quirked a brow before her eyes landed on the _Pokemon Museum of Science and History Membership_ in his hands.

"...oh."

"Yeah," the cheerleader rolled her eyes, "_oh."_

Rachel coughed into her hands. "I apologize, Samuel." Her eyes narrowed, "but wait! This still isn't fair that Quinn and I have to pay a fifteen dollar entrance fee whilst you only pay ten just because you have the membership!"

"Nah, it's cool, it's cool! I'll pay." Sam dug through his pockets and retrieved his wallet to pull out a couple crumpled dollar bills.

"You really don't have to, Sam." Quinn tried.

He gave the money to the worker before turning around. "Don't worry about it." He ran his hand through his hair and leaned against the counter with a toothy grin.

Rachel scoffed. "Unbelievable."

"Wait, what?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all." She sighed. "Let's just go in, shall we?"

"Oh, yeah. Totally. Hey, you guys gotta see the fossil exhibit on the first floor," he began as he led Quinn and Rachel to the elevator; they were on the second floor. He sidled up next to the blonde girl. "There are a total of five Pokémon from ancient times fossilized down there; Omanyte and Omastar, Kabuto and Kabutops, and the biggest and baddest one of all... Aerodactyl!"

The group exited the elevator and walked up to the first fossil.

The brunette whistled as she caught sight of the scythe-like bones.

**"Kabutops: The Shellfish Pokémon. Kabutops swam underwater to hunt for its prey in ancient times. The Pokémon was apparently evolving from being a water-dweller to living on land as evident from the beginnings of change in its gills and legs. It slashes prey with its claws and drains their fluids."**

"Pretty epic, huh?" Sam asked the two. "I've always wanted a Kabutops. The blades on their arms are so awesome! But since they're extinct, I went for the next best thing which is Scyth—Hey! Where's Aerodactyl?" He ran up to a worker putting up a sign next to the empty exhibit. "What are you doing? Where's the Aerodactyl fossil?"

"We took it down for some, um, cleaning."

Quinn's brows furrowed when she locked eyes with the worker. "Have we met..."

"Howard! Hurry up with that sign! We're about to test the machine—Oh. Who are these three?"

"Um, Mr. Ryan. These are just some kids touring the museum. I was just telling them the Aerodactyl fossil is in the process of being... _cleaned_."

"Yes. _Cleaned._ Now if you excuse us, we have some important business to attend to." Bryan Ryan grabbed Howard Bamboo's arm and dragged him towards a door.

"Hey, wait! When will the Aerodactyl fossil be back on display?"

"What? Oh, yes. That. That's actually the business we're attending to. We're cleaning it and then seeing when it will be put back on display. Now you kids go up to the third floor of the museum and check out the Moon Stone exhibit."

"We have a Moon Stone exhibit?"

"Shut up, Howard."

The trio watched as the door to the basement swung closed.

"I don't trust them." The brunette stated.

"Yeah, something seemed funky with them. What did they say? "_Test the machine."_"

"You're oddly good with your impersonations." Rachel remarked in an impressed tone.

Sam sheepishly rubbed his head. "Thanks... hey wait!" He whipped his head around to look at the empty exhibit and then back to the basement door. "They said that thing about a machine, but then said they were going down there to clean the fossil. I think they were lying to us."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" He replied, oblivious to the brunette's sarcasm. He took a step towards the door. "I think we should follow them."

"What? No!"

"Think about it, Q—"

"Did you just call her Q? You are not allowed to call her Q!"

"—They're posing as clean-up crew, they had two conflicting stories, and then they went in the basement." Sam's eyes lit up. "It all leads to one obvious explanation!"

Quinn sighed. "And what's that?"

"They're undercover and are actually a league of evil!"

"Or!" The blonde tried, "Or... they really are a clean-up crew and the machine they're talking about is one that specializes in cleaning fossils. Right, Rach? ...Rach? Oh, not you, too."

"I normally wouldn't agree with anything Samuel says—"

"Hey!"

"—But! They were acting particularly peculiar."

Sam nodded sagely. "Mhmm, mhmm!"

Quinn pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well, what do you suggest we do about it? Follow them?" Sam's eyes lit up while a glint appeared in Rachel's. "Oooh no. No. No. No."

"Please?" Sam begged.

"No. You guys, it's not our job to defeat the bad guys—if there even are any bad guys, that is."

"Someone has to be the hero."

"Sam's right for once."

"Thanks! ...I think? Come on; let's go!"

"No! You guys! Get back here!" Quinn called out in exasperation. "Fine!"

The two stopped in their tracks and looked eagerly to the trainer.

"But if we get caught by the police again, I'm leaving both of your asses!" She grinned before latching her arms through both of theirs and leading them towards the basement door.

"Wait, you've gotten caught by the police before?" Sam asked.

* * *

"Whoa, what the hell is going on?" Sam stage-whispered as they descended down the stairs and a bright light flickered below them.

Rachel shushed him and stopped right before the final few steps.

"Yes! It's working!" Bryan shouted from behind a giant computer.

Wires and a plethora of other machines were set up around the basement. In the middle stood...

"Is that the Aerodactyl fos—"

"Quiet!" Quinn slapped her hand over his mouth.

"Hey, what are you three doing down here?" Howard asked in confusion.

"Quick, turn around! Go back up, go back up!" Rachel pushed on Quinn and Sam's backs as they ran up a few steps.

"I don't think so." A voice said in front of them.

"Shit! Going back down, going back down!" Sam yelled as Andrea Cohen shoved them down the stairs and into the light.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" She asked as she brought the trio into the room.

"You three!" Bryan pointed. "You couldn't just go up to the third floor and check out the Moon Stones like a couple of good kids, huh?"

"Kids? We're—ugh," Sam shrugged out of Andrea's grip and stood in front of Quinn and Rachel with his arms crossed, "we're not kids!"

"I don't care if you're the elderly!" Bryan slammed his hands down onto the keyboard and the machine started to glow. "You're prohibited from being down—Whoa!"

A shroud of light surrounded the Aerodactyl fossil as the cranks on the machines started to turn.

"What's happening?" Rachel whispered as she stood closer to Quinn. The blonde grabbed her hand and watched with held breath.

"Yes, it's... it's..." Bryan's grin slowly turned into a frown. His eyes widened when he caught sight of rising stats on a screen next to him. He frantically tapped the keyboard. "Shit. It's not supposed to get that much power." He looked up as the Aerodactyl fossil started glowing. He jumped down from the platform and ran to the middle of the room with a pokéball in his hand.

A blast of light interrupted him as a screech surrounded the room.

Aerodactyl stood in place of his once fossilized form.

"I don't think so, Aerodactyl. Go, UltraBall—" The fossil Pokémon swatted the advanced pokéball away with a wing. "What? Impossible!"

"_Aerodactyl!_" The grayish purple Pokémon let out a horrific screech as he whipped his head around. He flapped his wings and let out an orange beam from his mouth.

"Shit! It's using Hyper Beam! Get down!" Sam yelled. The two girls knelt to the ground and he shielded them with his body.

"What are we going to do?" Rachel shook as she clung to Sam and Quinn. The latter stood up after the attack was over. "Quinn? Quinn! What are you doing?"

"Go, Flaaffy!"

"Quinn! Are you out of your mind?" The brunette screamed.

"You guys were right earlier." The blonde stated as she slowly approached the out of control fossil Pokémon. "Someone has to be the hero."

"But Quinn!" Sam tried to speak.

"You were the one that said it, Sam!" Quinn argued.

"I know! But Quinn!" He tried again.

"Flaaffy, use Electro Ball!"

"Quinn! No! Aerodactyl is stronger than the normal flying Pokémon! It's also part rock!" He yelled when the bird dodged the ball of electricity.

Aerodactyl's sharp eyes focused on Flaaffy. He took flight and charged as he let out another Hyper Beam.

"Everyone, duck!" Sam shouted.

"Fuck this! I'm out of here!" Andrea yelled as she dodged debris and ran up the stairs.

"Right behind you!" Other workers replied anxiously.

"Where are you guys going?" Bryan hollered. "Get back here! This is an order! I will tell Sylvester that you..." He trailed off as Aerodactyl took flight again. "Oh, screw Sylvester. I'm right behind you guys!"

"Wait for me!" Howard scuttled after them.

"Team Sylvester?" Sam asked in disbelief. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

_"Aerodactyl!" _

"I think we have more pressing issues than Team Sylvester, Sam!" Quinn yelled in desperation. "Flaaffy, return! Flaaffy! I said return..." She trailed off as the pink Pokémon started to glow.

"Hey, she's evolving!" Sam stated as he took out his pokédex.

**"Ampharos: The Light Pokémon. Ampharos gives off so much light that it can be seen even from space. It acts as a beacon for lost people—"**

Rachel knocked the pokédex out of the blonde boy's hands. "Now's not the time, Sam!"

**"Aerodactyl: The Fossil Pokémon. Aerodactyl is from prehistoric times. It was known as the King of the Skies. It flew while shrieking high-pitched cries and baring its saw blade-like teeth."**

"Shit!" Sam crawled to his pokédex to pick it up from the ground before it could get crushed from the debris. He let out a sigh of relief. "Got it..." He trailed off as he came face to face with the ancient Pokémon.

_"Aerodactyl!"_

"Ampharos! use Iron Tail!"

"_Ampharos!"_ Half of the newly evolved Pokémon's tail started glowing white. She jumped in the air and swung her tail down onto the prehistoric Pokémon's back.

A shriek erupted from Aerodactyl. He turned around in anger and started charging at Ampharos.

"Ampharos!" Quinn cried out as her Pokémon staggered to the ground from the endless onslaught.

"Go, Nicky!"

The blonde looked to her side to see Rachel standing with determination.

"Nicky, use Vine Whip!"

_"Bayleef!"_ Two dark green vines shot out from the leaves around Bayleef's neck and wrapped around Aerodactyl's wings to stop his attacks.

Sam jumped up and threw a pokéball out into the battle. "I choose you, Warblade!"

_"Scyther!"_

"Warblade, use Steel Wing!"

The blades on Sycther's wings started to glow white. He took flight and struck repeatedly at the bound Aerodactyl.

"Pokéball, go!" Sam shouted. All three watched as a red light shot out of the pokéball Sam threw. Aerodactyl disappeared inside the ball. "I... I did it!" He cheered in disbelief. "I can't believe I... Oh, shit!"

The pokéball burst open and Aerodactyl reappeared with a screech.

"Ampharos, use Iron Tail one more time!"

The yellow light Pokémon struggled to gather her strength. She let out a roar as she swung her tail and whipped it at Aerodactyl one last time.

"Go!" Quinn yelled as she tried her hand at capturing the ancient Pokémon.

All three trainers waited with bated breath as the pokéball shook back and forth. A final click of the ball made them sigh in relief.

Quinn walked over to the ball and picked it up before handing it to Sam.

The blonde boy shook his head no. "You and Ampharos were the ones to beat it."

"But..."

"Nah, you deserve it, Q." He winced when he realized what he said. He glanced at Rachel only to see her nodding in satisfaction. "Now let's get out of here before—"

"Are those sirens?" Rachel asked. "Oh, no. Not again! Everyone, return!" Once the Pokémon were safely in their balls, Rachel grabbed onto Quinn's hand and ran up the stairs. "You'll never take me alive, coppers!"

"What have I gotten myself into?" Sam groaned as he chased after them.

They ran past the elevator and up the stairs to the second floor. The worker at the front desk leaned forward and shouted after them, "What was all that racket below?"

The blonde boy slowed down "Um..." He dug through his pockets and threw the membership card on the desk. "I don't think I'll be needing this anymore." The two girls ran past him and out the door. "Yeah, I definitely won't be needing it. Smell ya later!"

The worker sat down with a sigh. "Oh, to be young again."

* * *

"Hey, wait up!" Sam burst through the doors and outside to see his new friends tightly embracing.

Rachel and Quinn pulled apart from their hug to regard the male trainer.

"Do you guys normally get into these types of things?"

"You mean shenanigans?" Quinn rolled her eyes but had a smirk on her face.

"Yes. Yes we do." Rachel answered while she looped her arm through the cheerleaders. "Do you have a problem with it?" She asked pointedly.

Sam studied the two and felt as if he was being asked a question with a double meaning. He wasn't sure, but one thing he did know was, "hell no, there's no problem!"

Rachel watched him for a few seconds before grinning. "Would you like to accompany us to the next gym?"

"Really? That'd be great!"

Quinn looked from trainer to trainer with a quirked eyebrow. "Did I miss something, or..." She shook her head. "You know what? It doesn't matter. Welcome aboard, Sam!"

"Oh, wait!" Rachel interrupted. "If you're going to be traveling us, I must know... What type of trainer are you? That Scyther of yours is quite strong."

"I'm a bug Pokémon trainer!" Sam gave a wide grin.

Quinn eyed him warily. "...bug?"

"Nah, nah. Look, everyone thinks we're nothing but a buncha nerdy losers with weak Pokémon, but," he took three pokéballs and threw them, "I want to prove to people we're not weird and that bug Pokémon can be strong! Go, Warblade, Flash, and Nightwing!"

_"Scyther!"_

_"Aria!"_

_"Freeee!"_

"You already met Warblade, but these are the Flash and Nightwing!" He took out his pokédex and pointed it to Flash first.

**"Ariados: The Long Leg Pokémon. Its feet are tipped with tiny hooked claws that enable it to scuttle on ceilings and vertical walls. This Pokemon constricts its foe with thin and strong silk webbing."**

"And now Nightwing!"

**"Butterfree: The butterfly Pokémon. It has a superior ability to search for delicious honey from flowers. The wings are protected by a rain-repellent dust. As a result, this Pokémon can fly about even in rain. In battle, Butterfree flaps its wings at great speed to release highly toxic dust into the air."**

Quinn eyed the three warily before she turned to Sam. She chuckled at his hopeful expression. "I guess they're not so bad."

"Yes! See, I told you!"

Rachel shook her head in amusement as she thought that having Sam around wouldn't be too bad.

"Hey, wait," Quinn started, "did you name them after comic book characters?"

* * *

"You ran?" Sue Sylvester crossed her arms as she regarded Bryan Ryan.

_"Farfetch'd!"_ The duck type Pokémon mimicked his master's movements.

"Boss, you don't understand... Something went wrong with the machine and Aerodactyl became too powerful and—"

"I don't need your excuses!" She slammed her fist onto the table.

_"Fetch'd!"_ Farfetch'd slammed the stick he always carried onto the table as well.

Bryan winced.

"Now we have the cops on our trail again and a damn prehistoric chicken flying around who knows where!"

"Actually..."

Sue pinched the bridge of her nose. "What is it, Andrea?"

"I think some kid captured Aerodactyl."

"What?" The leader of Team Sylvester whipped her head around and glared at Bryan. "Is this true?"

"It may be..." He gulped. "We were running for our lives and we didn't have time to... do... anything..." He trailed off at the look on his boss' face.

"Andrea, leave." The younger girl quickly left the room. Sue stared into Bryan's eyes. "So you're telling me that not only did you give away the location of one of our headquarters and thus alert the police, but now one of the most powerful ancient Pokémon that we have spent copious amounts of time and money on to bring back from time is in the possession of some kid?" She stood up from her chair and glowered at him. "You're lucky Team Sylvester is blood in and blood out or else I'd fire your ass. And trust me, bub, I'd absolutely destroy your reputation and ensure you'd never work for anyone ever again. Ever!"

"B-boss..."

"I can't look at you right now." She pressed a button on her desk and three people entered the room.

"Cooper! Take Mr. Ryan here and put him on training duty."

Bryan released a sigh of relief. "You mean train the new grunts?"

Sue smirked. "No. To train the herd of wild Tauros we have in our secret field."

The worker's eyes widened. "B-but no one has been able to tame them."

"You better think of a way then. Now get out of my office!"

Cooper winced and led him out the door. "Come on, Bryan..." He leaned into the other guy and whispered in his ear, "I'll help you think of a way to train them."

The remaining two workers stood in silence as Sue paced the length of her desk.

_"Farfetch'd far!"_

"What am I doing wrong?" She grumbled to herself. "We've made the perfect time machine... but I must've miscalculated somewhere because now it's in ruins and I'm nowhere near closer to where I need to be!"

"Ms. Sylvester, if I may?"

Sue sighed. "What is it, Goolsby?"

"I've realized we're going about this wrong."

Sue studied him for a bit. "Continue."

"See, here's my theory: our tests have been bringing Pokémon back _from_ time. What our main goal is..." Dustin gulped at the intense look on his boss' face, "your main goal is to go back _in_ time."

The Team Sylvester boss stood in silence as she regarded what he said. "And how, by chance, would you suggest we go back _in_ time?" The worker beside Goolsby sucked in a breath. "Is there something you'd like to share with the class, F?" Sue snapped.

The young woman bit her lip before exhaling. "...Celebi."

"What?"

"Celebi. The Guardian of the Forest." Her hand fidgeted as she mulled over what she was about to say. "It can travel through time."

"Huh." Sue sat back down in her chair with a contemplative look on her face. "Celebi."


	11. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Glee is not mine, and the only Pokémon I own are in my video games. The title of this fic is from the Offspring song of the same name. I don't own Star Wars.

* * *

"I can't believe it's almost been a month since I started my journey," Quinn stated as she sat down on the sand next to Sam.

"Yeah, it seems like just yesterday I was in the backyard with my little sister and showing her the wonders of bug Pokémon." He gazed at the sun rising above the water with a nostalgic smile.

"You have a little sister?"

"Mhmm. Stacey. And a little brother named Steve."

"Stacey, Steve, and Sam?" Quinn quirked an eyebrow at the alliteration.

"Yeah… hey, what's so funny?"

Quinn shook her head with a smile. "Nothing."

Sam furrowed his brows before shrugging and lying back in the sand. "Do you have any siblings?"

Quinn sighed and lied next to him. She looked upwards to see Sam's Butterfree fluttering overhead.

"Quinn?"

"Yeah. An older sister."

"What's her na—"

"You know, Rachel doesn't have any siblings."

Sam scrunched up his face at the interruption. "She's an only child? Hey, speaking of Rachel… Where is she?"

Quinn chuckled at a memory of the brunette singing a song with a similar name when they were younger. She shook her head and answered him. "On the phone." She pointed across the beach where Rachel was walking in a circle as she talked animatedly on the phone. "But yeah. Our friend, Puck, is kinda like an older brother to her though. He's like a brother to the both of us, actually."

"Isn't he the one that traveled with you guys before I joined the group?"

Quinn nodded in affirmative. "I think you two would get along."

Sam smiled. "I hope I get to meet this Puck someday—"

"_Lemme talk to this guy!"_

The two blondes jumped at the sudden voice. They quickly sat up to see Rachel with her arm stretched out towards them with the phone in her hand. They looked at her in confusion before she turned the volume on the speaker up even more.

"_Am I on speakerphone? Put me on speakerphone, my Jewish Princess!"_

"Puck?" Quinn stood up and wiped the sand off her outfit.

"_Hi, Q! Rachel tells me you got some blonde Ken doll traveling with you two now!"_

"Hey!" Sam jumped up.

Rachel gave a half-hearted shrug. "He said it, not me!" Though she may have described him as such when she first told Puck about how they met him.

"_Is that him? Hey! Hey, Sean!"_

"It's Sam." He grumbled.

"_What's that? Speak up! Rach, is this thing on speakerphone?"_

"Yes, you're on speakerphone!" Quinn laughed.

"_Okay. Awesome. So, Sam, right? I was just pulling your chain earlier. But I'm about to be super serious right now. See those two beautiful, strong, and talented young women right next to you?"_

"Uh, yes?"

"_Are you asking me or are you telling me?"_

"Yes! I see them!" Sam saluted out of instinct. He blushed when he heard Quinn and Rachel's giggles.

"_Okay. Cool. So, they're two out of the four most important women in my life. Right next to my mother and my little sister. If you let anything happ—"_

"You just said yourself that they were strong women. I'm pretty sure they don't need me to look after them." It got silent on the other line, and Sam rushed to continue. "Um, I mean, if anything, I'll probably need them to look after me!" He attempted to joke.

"…_You know what, Sammy boy?"_

"Um…"

"_You're okay."_

"Thank you? You're, uh, you're okay, too!"

"_Damn right I am! I'm more than okay! I'm—"_

"Okay, Puck, you're off speakerphone now." Rachel laughed as she put the phone up to her ear.

Quinn turned to the blonde boy. "You okay?"

Sam blinked. "I'm not sure what just happened. But… yeah. I guess I am? Well, apparently according to Puck."

Quinn smirked. "Let's just say you passed his test."

"Oh." Sam blinked again before he smiled. "Oh. Cool."

"Quinn, Noah wishes to speak to you!" Rachel skipped over to the blonde and once again held out her phone.

Quinn took it with a smile and walked a few feet away. Her smile slowly faded as her brows furrowed and her face turned a light shade of pink when Puck started speaking. She glanced at Rachel before whipping back around and stomping away out of ear shot.

"I wonder what they're talking about." Sam inquired.

Rachel studied her childhood friend who seemed to be whispering frantically into the phone. "I have absolutely no idea."

Quinn looked over her shoulder at Rachel once more. The brunette gave a little wave and the blonde abruptly turned back around with a darker blush on her face. "No, you can't watch! I doubt it will ever happen, anyway! Goodbye—" Quinn yelled into the phone, only to be interrupted by something Puck was saying. Her facial expression softened and she sighed.

"Peculiar." Rachel observed.

Quinn shook her head and made her way back over to the two trainers. "Trust me, I know… Yes. Of course… Do you want to speak to Rachel before I hang up?" She rolled her eyes at something he said. "Nope, you can't keep your lady waiting, now can you?" Her smirked dropped off her face as another light blush appeared. "She's not my—that's different and you know it! Whatever. Tell Lauren I said hi. Now goodbye, Puck… Yes, we love you, too. Talk to you later."

"What was that about?" Rachel asked as she took her phone back.

Quinn's eyes widened. "Um, just Puck being Puck. You know how he is."

Rachel bit her lip. "If you say so—"

The sound of a horn interrupted her sentence. The three trainers looked out onto the water.

"Hey! I bet you that's the boat that will take us to the island!" Sam shouted in excitement. "Let's hurry to the harbor—ack!"

Rachel yanked on his shirt collar as he was about to start running. "Not so fast! We have to put away our sleeping bags, put out the fire, clean up our mess, and put our Pokémon back in their balls!"

"But—" Sam groaned when Rachel glared at him. "Fine."

Quinn chuckled at the people she surrounded herself with before helping to clean up.

* * *

"Oh, would you look at that." Rachel stated smugly. "Not only did we manage to make our spot on the beach all clean and pristine, _but_ we also managed to make it to the harbor with ample enough time before the boat sets sail."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Can we just board already?" He asked excitedly as he jogged up to the boarding entrance.

"Ticket, please?" A worker asked.

"Wait, what? Ticket?" Sam asked in confusion.

"You need a ticket to board the S.S. Sue."

"Since when do you need a ticket? It's summer; trainers from all around the region will need to use this ship to finish their journeys!" Rachel argued once she and Quinn caught up with Sam.

"S.S. …Sue?" Quinn mumbled. "I wonder…"

"This is preposterous!"

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but it's a precaution. Ever since Team Sylvester had been on the loose, we have to monitor who boards the ship. Now, if you don't have tickets, I'm going to have to ask you to step out of line and let the trainers who actually _bought_ tickets onto the ship!"

"I can't believe this! I'll have you know that my fathers are gay and—"

"Come on, Rachel." Quinn grumbled as she grabbed onto her sleeve and motioned for Sam to follow them off the boarding dock.

"This is such bullshit." The blonde boy sulked on a bench as Quinn placated a fuming Rachel.

"Psst. Hey."

"What?" Sam looked up and around.

"Here!"

He looked next to him only to find a trashcan. "Um…"

"Hey!"

His eyes widened and he jumped up from the bench. "Guys? The garbage is talking to me!"

"No, you idiot! Over here!"

"You're breaking character, S! You're gonna blow our cover!"

"Well if blondie over here didn't think the fucking trashcan was speaking to him—"

Sam stood up and saw two people dressed in peculiar garbs. He glanced back at Quinn and Rachel only to find them entering a nearby Pokémon Center. He looked back to the other two people and walked up to them.

"Shh! Quiet! He's coming this way!"

"Um, were you two talking to me?"

The woman brought her hood up as she addressed him. "Board the boat, you and your friends cannot?"

The guy next to her chuckled until she elbowed him in the side. He coughed before speaking, "Um, what she said."

Sam quirked an eyebrow. "That accent sounds familiar. What region are you guys from?"

"Shit." The woman's eyes widened. "Important that's not!" She waved the topic off. "But right I am about being able to board boat, you not?"

Her companion snorted.

Sam looked on in confusion. "Um, yes?"

"Well, in luck you are! Three free tickets I have!" She reached into her sleeve and pulled out three tickets labeled _S.S. Sue_. "Have them you can!"

The guy next to her couldn't hold it in any longer and ended up clutching his stomach as he let out a hearty laugh.

Sam ignored him as he gazed at the tickets in awe. "Really? And for free?"

The guy wiped away a tear before straightening out his posture. The woman went to respond, but he grabbed the tickets out of her hands and gave them to the blonde. "You better hurry before the boat leaves."

"Hey, what happened to your accent?"

He grabbed onto his friend's sleeve and ran in the opposite direction.

Sam stared after them before a thought hit him. "Wait, the way they were dressed…" He glanced at the tickets in his hands and back at the retreating figures. "The way she spoke…" A thought hit him. "I just spoke to a Jedi warrior! But wait, they're not real. Huh." He stared at the space the two occupied before shrugging. "I guess she must have traveled a lot to have picked up on that dialect," he concluded before running to the Pokémon Center. "Hey, Quinn! Rachel! Look what I got!"

* * *

Dave panted from laughter as he and Santana ran away from the bug trainer. "I don't know what's worse," he came to a stop as he continued to laugh, "these _Star Wars_ costumes or your Yoda impersonation!"

Santana pulled the hood off her head. "Don't blame me for the clothes; Goolsby's the one who gave them to me. And shut up about the accent! I tried my best; therefore, no one should criticize me!" She bundled up the material and threw it at Dave.

He laughed even harder before catching his breath. "Okay, okay." He sighed out one last laugh. "Phew. At least we got them the tickets. Which… why did we do that again?"

"Goolsby told us to monitor them ever since the circus incident."

"Ah. Okay, okay." He was silent for a while before, "pain in my ass, Goolsby is."

Santana nodded before she realized what he said. "Hey! Mock me one more time and see what happens!"

"Lima Heights Adjacent on my ass, you will go?"

* * *

"So you're saying two cloaked figures just gave you three tickets for free?" Rachel asked dubiously as the three of them once again stood in line.

Sam nodded.

The worker from before stared them down as they walked further up the line. The gang held their breath as he scanned the tickets before rolling his eyes. He stepped to the side and let them through.

"Yes!" The blonde boy stuck his tongue out at the back of the worker's head and ran up the stairs to the boat.

Quinn released a sigh. "It would've sucked if they were fake."

Rachel hummed in agreement. "It is quite peculiar how—"

"My lady!" A curly haired boy with glasses ran up to them once they made it onto the boat. His face turned bright red when he got a good look at the brunette. "Oh, you're not… I could've sworn…"

Quinn quirked an eyebrow as the new arrival stared intently at Rachel. She grabbed onto her arm and gently guided her away. "Come on, Rach, let's find Sam and then our rooms," she looked over her shoulder in distaste at the guy.

He shook his head before running after the two. "Wait!"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "What?"

He ignored her and gazed at Rachel. "I apologize for earlier. It's just… you looked like someone." He took his glasses off and gave what he hoped was a charming grin. "But, I must say, you're ten times more stunning than she is. I think I need a Full Heal, actually."

Rachel scrunched her face in confusion and a little bit of disgust. "I beg your pardon?"

He put his glasses back on and leaned against the railing of the boat. "Your beauty is so electrifying that it left me paralyzed!"

Quinn narrowed her eyes. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Jacob Ben Israel," he ignored Quinn and offered Rachel his hand, "and you, my fair lady?"

"Um," the brunette eyed his hand warily, "Rachel. And this is my… friend, Quinn." Instead of shaking his hand, she took Quinn's off her arm and held it in her own.

"Quinn, Rachel!" Sam ran up to the two enthusiastically. "You wouldn't believe the stuff they have on this ship! A buffet, a swimming pool—who are you?" He finally noticed the other person.

"Jacob Ben Israel," he repeated. "Bug trainer extraordinaire and president of the Pokémon fanclub!"

"Pokémon fanclub?" Sam asked in confusion. His eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait, bug trainer? Me too! My name's Sam!"

"Yes, Pokémon fanclub. We're quite notorious around these parts. It's where trainers gather together to discuss their favorite Pokémon, gym leaders, or elite four members." He winked at Rachel. "You should come down to my room for a personal meeting."

Quinn's eye twitched. She opened her mouth to say something, but Sam beat her to it.

"She'll do no such thing, buddy."

Jacob frowned. "Am I to assume that you're her boyfriend?"

Sam tilted his head, "um, n—"

"No!" Rachel and Quinn shouted in unison.

Jacob grinned at Rachel. "So you're single?"

She hesitated. "Well, I mean…"

"I feel the urge to kiss you." Jacob leaned forward. "I'm just gonna go for it—Ouch!"

"Quinn!" Rachel grabbed the blonde's hand and inspected it. "Are you okay?"

"What about me?" Jacob whined as he clutched his cheek. "She slapped me! I think I need a kiss to make it better!"

"Listen you little creep," Quinn seethed, "we're on this boat for three days and two nights, and we better not see you even once during the rest of this trip. Do you hear me?"

Jacob gulped before putting on a brave face. "You don't scare me."

Quinn stepped forward and he squeaked in fear.

"Quinn." Rachel slid her hand up to the blonde's shoulder. "He's not worth it."

"It's bug trainers like you that give the rest of us a bad name." Sam shook his head as the three of them walked away.

Jacob grunted in frustration. "Pokéball, go!"

"_Pinsir!"_

Quinn whipped her head around to see the brown bug Pokémon charging after them. Her eyes widened. She jumped in front of Rachel and Sam before throwing out her own pokéball.

"_Quilava!"_ The fire Pokémon grabbed Pinsir's arms and held them in a lock.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Quinn asked as the two Pokémon came to a standstill.

"Battling for my lady's hand!"

Quinn glared. "Excuse me?"

"My hand?" Rachel's eyebrows shot up. "I would never get married at such a young age." She leaned towards Sam and stage whispered, "Getting married before my twenties would be completely out of character for me."

Jacob's eyes lit up. "So you're saying that if I win, you'll wait for me?"

"No, she won't!" Quinn yelled. She blushed when she noticed a crowd had gathered.

Rachel shook her head with a smile. "What I'm saying is that you have to leave all of us alone when Quinn wins."

Jacob narrowed his eyes. "Deal. Get ready for our honeymoon!"

"Let the battle for Rachel Berry's heart commence!" Sam spoke in an announcer-type voice. He flinched at the glare Quinn sent him. He shrugged and scurried off to stand next to the brunette. He took out his pokédex and pointed it to Jacob's Pokémon.

"**Pinsir: The Stag Beetle Pokémon. Protruding from the surface of Pinsir's horns are thorns. These thorns are driven deeply into the foe's body when the pincer closes, making it tough for the foe to escape. Once they grip an enemy, they won't release until the foe is torn in half."**

Rachel gasped at the description. "Quinn, be careful—"

"Quilava, use Flamethrower!"

Flames ignited on Quilava's back as he released a stream of fire at Pinsir.

Jacob stared in shock with his mouth hung open as his bug Pokémon fainted.

"Quilava, return."

Rachel watched the scene with an impressed look on her face.

"Hot damn." Sam muttered. He walked through the group of people watching and went between the two trainers. "Team Quinnlava wins!"

The crowd clapped in amazement and cheered for the young woman who wiped out her opponent in one move.

"That… That's not fair!" Jacob called back his Pokémon in defeat. "I didn't even get a chance to show off Pinsir's moves!"

"Too bad." Quinn smirked. "Now I expect you to keep your end of the deal and leave us alone."

"No! I—" A hand on Jacob's shoulder stopped him.

"That's enough, son."

"Holy shit." Sam gaped.

Jacob tried to shrug the strong grip off his shoulder. "Get your hands off of me, you—" He turned around to yell at the offender only to choke on his breath. "Be-Be-Beis…"

"You're going to walk away and leave these three alone, you got it?"

He whimpered and quickly nodded. Once the hand left his shoulder, he bolted through the crowd of people.

The person turned to the shocked group. "Okay, show's over. Everyone go back to what you were doing." Once the crowd dispersed, she walked over to the three friends. "Are you all okay?"

Rachel nodded. "Yes, thank you—"

"Who are you?" Quinn interrupted.

Sam gawked at Quinn. "Are you serious right now?"

"What?" The blonde furrowed her eyebrows in offense.

"That's Shannon Beiste! She's a member of the elite four!"

Quinn's eyes widened.

Shannon chuckled at the three trainers. She turned to the speechless blonde. "That was some mighty fine battling, missy. I haven't seen a knock out like that in years! What's your name?"

"Her name's Quinn Fabray!" Rachel answered proudly.

Shannon nodded. "Well, Quinn Fabray, I don't normally do this…" She reached behind her and pulled a fishing rod seemingly out of nowhere. "But with the way you battled, well, let's just say I think a young trainer such as yourself would be better off with this than me. It's called the Super Rod; way better than any ordinary fishing rod. Just cast this baby into water and bam!" The three friends jumped at the sudden increase in volume. "You won't be catching Magikarp, I'm telling you that!"

Quinn scrunched up her face in confusion as she took the rod. "Thank you?"

"No problem, pumpkin! But listen, I gotta jet." She pointed her thumb over her shoulder. "I expect to see you again in a few weeks at the stadium, got it?"

"Yes ma'am!" The three watched the elite four member disappear amongst the people on the boat.

"Did that just happen?" Sam asked in disbelief. He shook his head and turned to Quinn. "Lemme see that!"

"What? No. It's mine."

"Oh, come on!"

Rachel sighed. "Now, now, children." She grabbed the rod out of their hands. "Let's go find our rooms and then you can play."

* * *

"I'm not getting anything!" Sam huffed as he reeled in the Super Rod.

"That's because you're too impatient. You have to cast it out and wait for a bite; you can't expect to catch a Gyarados on your first try." Quinn took it from him and cast out the line herself. "Besides, you're a bug trainer so why are you trying to catch a water type?"

Rachel watched the two in amusement from her spot on a beach towel.

Sam sulked before the line started to move. "Oh, hey!" He grabbed the rod and tried to reel it in.

"What are you doing? That's mine!" Quinn took hold of another part of it.

"I've been waiting forever; I think you should give this one to me!"

"No way! You had your chance! Besides, Beiste gave _me_ the Super Rod!"

A red light shot out of Rachel's bag beside her.

"_Teddiursa!"_

The brunette looked on in puzzlement as her little bear Pokémon watched the two blondes bickering back and forth.

"Let go! You're going to break it!"

"You let go!"

"_Ursa!"_

"Teddiursa, no!"

"Tony!"

The two blondes gazed in disbelief as the Pokémon used his little claws to cut the fishing line. They heard a giant splash and ran up to the railing of the ship.

"_Dewgong! Gong, gong!"_

Sam slapped his forehead in frustration. "Was that a…"

Quinn pinched the bridge of her nose before sighing heavily. "Yes."

They both turned around to glare at Teddiursa.

His eyes widened and he ran to Rachel. She laughed as he cuddled into her lap. "Awe, are they being mean to you, Tony-wony?"

"Us? That was a Dewgong he just let go!"

"A what?" Rachel tilted her head.

Sam ran his hair through his hair. "Never mind," he grumbled and sat down with his arms crossed on the towel next to her.

Rachel chuckled before putting Tony back in his pokéball. She stood up and walked over to a pouting Quinn. "Here, let me see it." She took the Super Rod and fixed the wire before adding a new hook to it. She turned around with a smirk, "watch how it's done."

Quinn rolled her eyes good-naturedly and sat down next to Sam to watch. Before she could even get comfortable, Rachel let out a noise of triumph as she vigorously reeled the line in.

"You've gotta be shitting me." Sam whined as they both stood back up and watched in amazement as Rachel gave one last tug. A star shaped Pokémon splashed out of the water and onto the boat next to the gang. It shook off the line and remaining droplets of water before facing the gawking brunette.

"Staryu," Rachel breathed in awe.

"_Yu!"_

"**Staryu: The Star shape Pokémon. As long as the center section is unharmed, Staryu can heal itself from any battle. It gathers with others in the night and makes its red core glow on and off with the twinkling stars, as if communicating with them."**

"I've always wanted a Staryu!" Rachel squealed in excitement. "Go, Mr. Arnstein!"

"_Leef!"_

"Use tackle!"

"_Bayleef!"_ The grass Pokémon kicked his front legs in the air with a mighty cry before charging at the water Pokémon. Staryu jump in the air to dodge the assault and rapidly began to spin.

"It's using Rapid Spin!" Sam called out unnecessarily.

"Use your vines to stop it!" Rachel ordered confidently.

Dark green vines shot out from Bayleef as Staryu quickly descended towards him. His vine grabbed hold of one of Staryu's points and he swung the opposing Pokémon across the deck.

A group of people ran out of the way as Staryu landed between them. Its center began to glow red and it slowly recovered from its injury. It jumped back up and tilted its head at Bayleef; a spiral of water blasted out at the grass Pokémon.

"Dodge it, Nicky!"

Bayleef swung his vines to the floor to push himself out of the way of the attack.

"Yes," Quinn cheered. She quickly ran to get the brunette's bag that was left on her towel and rummaged through it. She grabbed hold of an item and jogged back to the battle.

Rachel grinned, "Now use Giga Drain!"

The giant leaf on the grass Pokémon's head started to glow bright neon green, and a bolt of light shot out at Staryu. It wrapped around the water Pokémon and sapped its energy.

Rachel took the pokéball the blonde had retrieved for her with a grateful smile. She turned back towards the battle and threw it. The water Pokémon went inside the ball, and the small crowd that had gathered watched in anticipation as it fell to the floor and shook a few times. Rachel strode towards the pokéball and picked it up when it finally stilled. "I caught…" she thrust the item in the air and beamed at the crowd, "…Staryu!"

The audience burst into cheers as she soaked up the attention.

"Wow, they're really eating out of the palms of her hands, huh?" Sam deadpanned and plopped back down on the beach towel.

"Rachel Berry is a woman of many talents," Quinn began as she watched a few more people congratulate the brunette on her battling skills, "and working a crowd just so happens to be one of them."

Rachel gave one last grin to the spectators before making her way over to the group. She knelt down next to Bayleef and hugged him. "You were amazing, Mr. Arnstein. Now let's bring out our new friend!"

"_Yu!"_ The brown star Pokémon reappeared in front of the group and hopped exuberantly.

Rachel shook as she clenched her fists and hung her head low.

"Um, Rach," Sam stood up from the towel and made his way over to her, "are you okay—ack!"

Rachel couldn't contain herself; she threw her hands in the air in excitement and accidentally knocked Sam out of the way. She didn't notice him as she squealed in delight at the sight of her new Pokémon. "I can't believe I have a Staryu!" Her brown eyes shined as she gazed at it. "I've always wanted one ever since my dads said my m—" She faltered for a second before continuing, "said… said I was their little star!" She nodded and turned towards the two blondes. "After all, a star Pokémon is only befitting for a star trainer! And stars are sort of—"

"—Your thing." Quinn finished for her with a smirk. She filed Rachel's almost slip-up to the back of her mind as she watched the happy scene unfold.

"So what are you gonna name it?" Sam asked.

"I…" Rachel paused. "I don't know."

Sam fake gasped. "You mean to tell me Rachel Berry, Unofficial Pokémon Name Rater, doesn't have a nickname prepared in case she ever caught a Staryu?"

"Sam." Quinn warned.

"I'm just teasing." He held up his hands in surrender. He turned back towards the pouting brunette, "how about I help you?"

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "The last time I accepted help in nicknaming my Pokémon, Hoothoot got named after an alcoholic beverage."

"What?" Sam shook his head, "it doesn't matter. Come on, lemme help! I already got the coolest name in mind!"

"It's not after some comic book character, is it?" Quinn laughed.

"Well, I mean, you see…" Sam sputtered before he blurted out, "Starfire is a good name!"

Rachel gasped. "Starfire…" She trailed off as she looked back and forth between Staryu and Sam. She pressed her palms to her cheeks and beamed. "That's perfect!"

* * *

Shannon grinned as she watched the three friends from her spot on an upper level of the ship. She was away on official Elite Four business, and she was itching to get back to the stadium to train her Pokémon. Seeing all these new trainers made her eager for the battles to come.

She glanced down one last time to see Quinn with her hand on the brunette girl's shoulder and an easy smile on her face.

"That one," she said to herself as she walked back towards her VIP room, "the League is definitely going to have a hell of a time with her."


End file.
